Saving Grace
by mightjustbe
Summary: New chapter up! Burke's ultimatum, everyone but Cristina knows, George is breaking down and everyone's so caught up in the drama they neglect the one person who needs them.
1. It began and ended in one moment

New York was so far away. Sometimes Derek missed his life there more than he could ever explain, and sometimes he wouldn't trade Seattle for the world. He missed his family, and wished he were closer to them, to get their advice and help. But, mostly he missed Addison. At first it was in the mornings, or really late at night. Then it started creeping in at all times of the day. He'd be in the middle of a surgery and her face would mirage itself on the patient's brain, and he'd be forced to blink back the subtle tears and finish the job so he could cry in private. And now, with Grace turning three, it marked the three-year anniversary of Addison's death. It wasn't something he was prepared for, Addison getting pregnant. There was uncertainty there, whether the baby was his or Mark's (a hard doubt for him to grasp), but Addison swore it was his, and he thought about getting a paternity test just in case. As much as he hated Mark, he didn't want to steal his child. And then, before Derek could prepare, Addison went into labor, and after a long, hard birth, everything seemed perfect. Their little girl was absolutely gorgeous, and he couldn't believe that she already looked just like Addison. He'd just run down to the nursery to see her, wrapped tightly in the pink blanket, sleeping soundly. Before he left, he kissed Addison's forehead, "I'll be right back, Addie. Think of names…"

He'd started walking back, a grin permanently attached to his face and a little skip in his step. She'd given this beautiful little girl to him. Deep in his heart, he knew she was his, and that was all that mattered to him. He looked up when he heard the code blue called, and saw the doctors rushing into her room. He ran as fast as he could, but a nurse kept him out, made him wait. He was supposed to go into the waiting room, but he couldn't sit still. He went into the nursery and held his little girl, rocking her gently. He stared at her tiny, round face, completely astounded by her beauty. "One day, princess, you're going to completely ruin some boy. No, lots of boys. They'll take one look at you, and they'll just never be able to get you out of their minds," tears filled his eyes as he thought of how much he loved her already, less than two hours old. Panic filled him as he saw Addison's doctor heading towards him. "I'll be back later sweetheart. I've got to talk to a nice man about your mommy. Sleep tight," he whispered, kissing her pale cheek and setting her gently inside her tiny, clear crib.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Shepherd. Your wife suffered from some internal bleeding. We had it stopped just after your daughter was born, but her heart stopped shortly after. I can't tell you how sorry I am. She was a terrific doctor, and an inspiration to me when I went through medical school…" the doctor made it brief and exited quickly, while Derek found himself crying on his knees in the hallway.

He sat in the chair outside the nursery, just watching. "Excuse me, sir. Are you Baby Shepherd's father?" She was a tiny brunette, and looked terrified to have to be asking him to which child he belonged.

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem?"

"She doesn't have a name. We can't finish her birth certificate without it."

"Addison never filled it in?"

"No, sir, she said she was waiting for you to approve the name," she noticed his eyes welling again, and she took a step back, "I'll give you a second…"

He stared in at his daughter. "You're all I've got left, and I haven't the slightest idea what to name you…" and it clicked, that quickly in his head. "Excuse me, I've picked her name. It's Grace Addison Montgomery-Shepherd. Does that sound okay?" He needed a female perspective, someone else's opinion. He was lousy at the name game.

He saw her eyes well up; "It's perfect."

* * *

"Meredith, it's Derek. I need your help, can you come over?" 

After a second, Meredith answered, her voice strained and worried. "Is Grace okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I just… this whole birthday thing… I've got everyone from the hospital coming over, and a few of my sisters flew in with their daughters. I just want everything to be perfect…"

He heard her sigh in relief, and agree to come over early before she hung up. She'd been good to him, the past five years. It was hard for both of them to keep the friendship solid, when they loved each other so much. But he had a vow to Addison, and then she was pregnant. And then, well, he had Grace to raise by himself. Although they were not together, he and Meredith were constant companions, exchanging the passionate love they had for a solid friendship. Meredith had let him and Addison move into her mother's house for the last 7 months of Addie's pregnancy while Derek had a house built on the property. He kept the trailer filled with memories of his wife, old knick-knacks of their life together. He wrote her letters sometimes, when his heart couldn't take the grief, and he kept those in the trailer as well. On especially trying days, he'd take Grace out there and just sit with her. He never told her about Addison—it'd been three years, yes, but the wound still felt fresh to him. Grace was starting to look more and more like Addison—she had her fiery hair and pale complexion, and her face. But her eyes… those were his.

Derek pushed the memories aside, and hung up the phone. "Grace, honey, let's have some breakfast," he called, knowing she was sitting in her little rocking chair (an early present from Aunt Mer). He smiled as he saw her walk around the corner, "There's my princess! How old are you today?"

She smiled at him and latched onto his leg. "I'm three, daddy! What's for breakfast?"

"I'm making a special breakfast for the birthday girl! What do you want, you can have anything!" Instantly, he regretted saying that—he knew the first thing out of her mouth would be junk food of some sort, and he couldn't tell her no. But before he could take it back, he heard a voice from the entrance.

"Gracie, honey! Come say hi to Aunt Mer!" She came around the corner and crouched down to scoop up the growing girl, "Happy birthday, sweetie! Did I hear Daddy saying he's making breakfast?"

Derek tossed her one of his signature grins, "Sure, you come in right as I mention food. Typical."

She grinned at him, and when Grace looked over her shoulder at her father to smile, he noticed she had Mer's lopsided smile. It warmed his heart and killed him all in one swift motion. Meredith noticed the slight change in his features, and set Grace down, whispering to her to go to her playroom and she'd get her for breakfast.

"Derek? Are you alright?" Meredith rested her hand on his shoulder, and that was all it took. She watched his face crumble as his head crashed against her sweater, feeling his tears as they seeped through the knit, her body shaking as his was racked with sobs.

"She looks just like her! Just like her… Everyday I look at her and miss her mother. Am I robbing her? Am I really able to devote myself to her when I'm still stuck in the past?" He turned away from her—he didn't want her to see his bloodshot eyes. He was embarrassed enough to have cried at all, to have broken, but in front of his best friend?

"Of course you're not robbing her! You're the only one she's got, Derek. It's hard, yes, and it may never get better—I won't lie to you. But you'll always have the bunch of us to help. Like when she starts going through puberty, or you catch her with a boy—you won't have to worry because even though Addison isn't here, we'll help, forever. You're not doing this alone. And you'd do wonderfully even if you were alone—this is your real calling, Derek. Not neurosurgeon, father. Do you hear me?" She turned him around, forcing him to face her. He'd calmed down some, and he smiled at her. Strict comfort, what more could he ask from her?

"Grace, honey, let's decide what's for breakfast!" He called, looking at Meredith; "Any special requests?"

"Pancakes?"

"That's fine by me. Let's ask the princess…"

* * *

The birthday party went well. Preston got her the doll she wanted, Cristina got her some clothes that she immediately had to wear, George bought her an art easel and art kit, and Izzie bought her an easy bake oven. Derek waited until Grace went to put on one of the outfits before snatching up the easy bake oven. "Izzie, she's only three!" he whispered loudly, putting the pink box in a high cupboard in the kitchen. 

"So? I'll help her use it, I promise! I just want her to know that females can be doctors and can cook, and that's okay. I just don't want her to buy into the female stereotypes…" she cut herself off, but everyone could hear her thoughts drifting to Addison.

Grace emerged from her room in a pink sundress, and did a little twirl for them. She giggled as they clapped, and then turned to face her dad. "Daddy, what's a mommy?"

They could hear the silence, and they turned to face Derek. His eyes were filling with tears—he wasn't ready yet. He couldn't do it.

"Sweetie, what makes you ask that?" Cristina chimed in, grabbing her hand and turning her tiny body towards her.

"Joey from daycare said everyone has a mommy. I don't, do I?"

"Grace, come here for a second. I have to tell you something," Meredith got on her knees so she was eye level. "Joey's right, everyone has a mommy. You know that picture that I have of you from when you were really little?" She paused as Grace nodded, and continued. "Well, when you were born, your mommy went to sleep because she was really tired from giving birth. But she didn't wake up later, like she should have. Do you understand sweetie?"

"So my mommy died?" Grace looked at her crying dad; "Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Why don't you go with Aunt Izzie and Uncle George and learn how to use that Easy Bake Oven?" He forced a smile and waited until she was out of hearing range before letting his head fall. "I was not expecting that. Not yet, anyway."

"Well, Derek… she's just a really intuitive child. She's known something's been different, missing, her entire life. She's a very intelligent little girl…" Preston sighed and looked away, "but you're right. None of us were expecting it so soon. Eventually, yes."

Derek smiled a little, knowing that the six of them had created a strong bond through that little angel. They all had a hand in raising her, all contributing something. Although he'd probably never say so aloud, he attributed a great deal of her intelligence to all of them. Cristina had forced everyone to stop baby talking to Grace after she read in a magazine that normal speech helps children speak properly and earlier. Preston refused to let her watch any television when he babysat, and soon everyone followed suit. They'd encourage her to play outside or to learn something new instead of sitting in front of the screen. They were all so influential, so needed. He wouldn't know what to do without them. He knew Addison was watching over all of them, encouraging them to stick together and raise Grace. He wondered if she would've handled the mommy question differently, if she'd had a better explanation then them. He watched his daughter smear batter on George's cheek like war paint, and laughed before he waved them all over to the kitchen to bake.

(To be continued?)


	2. Something was missing

* * *

This one flashes forward 12 years—a big leap, I know! But unless we wanted a 100-chapter story, this is the way it's got to be! 

* * *

The spring passed flawlessly, effortlessly into a perfect summer. Grace had never understood exactly why, but for as long as she could remember, she loved ferry boats. She had just turned 15 that day, and had to spend it alone. Her family had planned on taking alternate shifts, but there had been a 12-car pile up on the highway, and they'd all been called in. They were apologetic, but she understood. It was the second most important thing to them—she knew she was first. As she stepped onto the boat, her phone shook in her purse. She rushed to get it, knowing so many people would be calling her for hours. The ID proved it was her Dad, and she smiled to herself as she thought that he must somehow know she was about to board the boat. 

"Hey, Daddy. If you're busy you can just call me back when you're coming home, I understand…"

"Don't be ridiculous, princess. I'm so sorry that this happened today, of all days. I know I can't control these things, but I still feel horrible about it. So, we've been talking over patients," he paused while she giggled at his confession, "and the six of us have decided to take you out to dinner, wherever you want and with whomever you want. If you want Ashley and Madison to come, that's fine… if you want Jake to come, he can…"

"I know you don't like him, Daddy. I wouldn't bring him to a family thing. We're just friends anyway…"

"The only reason I don't like him is because he's… you know what, we're not going to do this, sweetie. This is your birthday, and I understand that you care for him. I just don't really care for the way he treats you and the things he says to you. It's not the way someone should talk to my baby is all. If you want, I'll give you some cash and the two of you can go to the movies after our dinner. Just think about where you want us all to go for dinner, it's all up to you. Aunt Mer and Aunt Izzie said they'll be getting out early, since they both were on-call last night, and they want to take you shopping and spoil you rotten, yet again. So keep your phone on, and don't stray too far from the house—that means you get off that ferry right now, Grace Addison—you know I don't like you going on those things alone. It's not safe for a beautiful young girl…"

She laughed, shaking her head; "Alright, Daddy, I'm getting off now. I'll just go sit in the trailer for a bit, and then take a nap or something. I love you, and don't work too hard!"

"I love you too, Gracie. Be safe, and hurry home, it's supposed to get really hot in a little bit, and you know how easily you burn. I bet you forgot sunblock again, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, I always do. Alright, I'm going to run home then. Be careful!"

"You too honey. Have fun with your aunts!"

She hung up and secured her phone inside her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. She tightened her sneakers' laces and began her jog home.

* * *

She unlocked her door, thankful she'd turned on the air before she'd left. She ran to take a shower, but was stopped by the persistent ring of the home phone. She dashed for the phone, but heard the answering machine start first. "_You've reached the residence of Derek Shepherd_" there was a pause, only a second, before a softer voice came back, "_and Grace Montgomery-Shepherd, and we're not home. So leave us a message and we'll get back to you._" 

"Grace, it's Uncle George, if you're there sweetheart pick up the phone!"

She picked up the receiver, "Hey Uncle George! I'm here, what's up?"

"Sweetie, I need you to sit down and listen closely, okay?" His voice shook, and she knew something was terribly wrong. She took a seat on her dad's chair and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Uncle George, what is it?"

"It's Richard, he's had a heart attack." His voice broke, and Grace could hear him crying quietly. Richard had long ago left the Chief of Surgery position, relinquishing the title to her Uncle Preston. He made frequent visits to the house, and called when he couldn't stop by. He was an important part of the family, the surrogate grandfather, someone everyone counted on for something. He was steady, strong… he was the constant in their lives.

"Is he… is he dead, Uncle George?" She felt her voice escape as her tears began to streak her face.

"I don't know yet. They were closer to Mercy, so that's where he is. They said they'd keep us updated." He paused, and he breathed deeply as if he'd just realized something. "Oh, God, Gracie it's your birthday… listen, Mer just walked into the room, I'm going to let her talk to you. I love you, honey, and I'm so sorry…"

"Oh Grace!" Meredith was sobbing into the phone, and she knew it was bad. He was dead, she was certain—why else would her strong aunt be so heartbroken? "Angel, I'm on my way. I told Uncle Preston that I was leaving right now, Izzie's coming too. We're going straight there…"

"Is he dead? Is that why you're so upset? Please, tell me now. I can't wait!" Grace cried, her heart breaking within her.

"Not that I know of…"

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Because it's your birthday. And everything is going wrong! First, the accident, which tied us all up here; now Richard… I just feel so terrible. This shouldn't have happened, not today…"

"I'm used to bad things happening on my birthday. The day I was born, my mom dies. My fifth birthday I got the chicken pox. My seventh birthday I broke my wrist and ankle when I fell out of that tree… I should've known this would happen. I should've seen it."

"This has nothing to do with you. You are not cursed. You are the best thing in all of our lives, the only thing that gave your father a reason to keep going after Addison died, the only thing that got us through so many disasters. Listen, Izzie just went and pulled the car around, so I'm going outside, and we'll be over in just a little bit. Find something to distract yourself with, and try not to think about these bad things."

"I'll try. I love you, Aunt Mer."

"I love you too sweetie."

Grace hung up the phone, and felt something in her snap. She was bad luck. She was a curse. She was the reason all the bad things happened to everyone she loved. And she was going to set things right…


	3. It was devastating, unbearable

Thanks to all the reviewers—I'm so excited you like the story. I plan on doing one based around the last episode (airdate 5-7-06) as soon as this one gets to a point where I can start another and focus on both adequately:- )

* * *

They knocked, but Grace didn't come to the door. 

"Grace? Grace, it's your favorite aunts in the world… come open the door, sweetheart!" Izzie called out.

Meredith was still crying, all the drama from the day taking its toll on the doctor; she fumbled with her keys, struggling through the tears to find the correct key to the house. "Damn it, Iz, find this key for me, I can't see!"

Izzie grabbed her keys and found it effortlessly. They entered the cool house quietly. The place was completely silent, and it gave Izzie the chills. "Grace Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, you get down here right now, I am so not kidding!" She shouted, her voice slightly echoing off the walls of the living room. There was no reply. "Mer, I need you to keep calm, and look down here for her. I'm going upstairs, and once you find her, you scream as loud as you can where you are."

"Where is she, Iz?" Meredith was so worried that her hands shook. They never shook. She was a surgeon, she had to have steady hands--she had no choice. But her hands, they were shaking, and that only meant one thing. She couldn't deal with the fear.

Izzie couldn't answer. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she ascended the stairs, leaping up them calling her niece's name. There was still no answer. She checked Derek's room, the master bathroom, in the closet and under the bed. When Grace was 9, there was a huge string of storms in April, and the lightning scared her to death. Derek was worried, and called Izzie to come check on her. Grace was hiding under the bed, and she told her aunt that when she got scared, she found the most comfort holding her baby blanket under her dad's bed. But she wasn't there. Izzie's heart stopped as panic stormed through her. "GRACE!" she yelled, rushing through the hall and into Grace's bedroom. There she was. She was lying on her bed, face up, under her blankets. Her eyes were closed, her face pale. "Gracie, sweetie, why aren't you…" she paused, noticing that her chest was rising slowly. Her breathing was shallow. "Grace?"

Izzie stepped forward, and remembered her pact with Mer; "MER! She's here, in her room…"

She heard Mer pound up the stairs, heard her cry in relief, "Why hasn't she…" she paused, leaning against the doorframe. "Isn't that one of Addison's old necklaces?"

Izzie nodded, from her spot next to Grace, "Mer… she isn't responding. Her breathing is shallow, her heartbeat is weak… call 911, hurry!" Izzie threw back the blankets, and gasped. Grace's wrists were open, blood slipping out effortlessly from the wounds. "Oh, God!"

* * *

Grace's eyes flew open as she sprung from her bed. She wiped the cold sweat from her head, 'It was only a nightmare!' she thought, and smiled. She looked at the clock, and was slightly shocked it read 4 p.m. That meant she'd gone on the ferry. She'd gotten that phone call. But what had happened next? She couldn't remember. She ran to the shower and turned it on, throwing herself into the steaming water. 

"Grace!" Meredith called, taking her key out of the lock. She heard the shower running, so she and Izzie picked up the boxes they'd hidden on either side of the door, in case she was in the living room. They carried the boxes into the kitchen and placed them on the table, a small smile playing on both their lips. It was a relief to them, to be able to do something to correct this horrible day. She was a good child, brilliant, and beautiful. And brave, yes, they couldn't forget brave. She had characteristics of all of them—Cristina's strength, Preston's confidence, George's timidity, Izzie's compassion, Meredith's smile and humor, and Derek's intelligence. She was their rock. And she deserved more than what she's gotten, the bad luck that seemed to follow her and appear in a big lump on her birthday.

"Do you think she's going to like this?" Izzie placed the homemade cake in the fridge before grabbing the gifts and moving them into the laundry room. It was all planned out. They were going to go shopping, keep her distracted. They would know it was safe to come home when Derek called. They were to do anything to keep her gone—spend any amount of money, go to the movies, or go on a small road trip. It didn't matter, all they had to do was keep her away while Derek and George decorated the house and collected her friends. Originally, they hadn't had a party in mind. They were just going to dinner. They were going to have a good time. But now, with all that had happened… they had to do something outstanding to cheer up that poor girl.

* * *

Derek finished closing the young woman's head, and congratulated everyone, as he always did. "You all did beautifully. Thank you all for your assistance, Ms. Harmon and I both appreciate it greatly." He smiled, and rushed to the sinks to wash up, ready to run home and see his daughter. 

"Dr. Shepherd?" A timid new intern, Dr. Neller, had just put her head inside the door.

"Yes, Dr. Neller, what is it?" He smiled brightly, but the smile faltered when he say her eyes glisten.

"The chief is on his way down. He says it's important, and you aren't to leave here or speak to anyone at all until he sees you," she looked away before she continued; "He says to make sure you understand this includes Grace, and Meredith, and Izzie. Sorry, sir."

His face paled. Something was wrong. "Oh, it's not your fault, doctor, there's no reason to apologize. You're just the bearer of bad news, not the cause. It's fine. Go do something medical. Maybe Dr. Bailey will let you in on a surgical case if you stay out of her way…" He knew Dr. Neller had some bad luck where Bailey was considered. Bailey had some of the best surgical opportunities, and was very restrictive of who got the best cases. She had her favorite interns, and Dr. Neller had been much too confident with her abilities, much too peppy, and it hadn't sat right with Bailey, as it never did.

The intern smiled politely and nodded, before exiting as wordlessly as she'd entered. He looked back into the sinks, continuing to scrub his already clean hands before ripping off his mask. How is it possible for one more thing to go wrong today, he thought? He jumped when he heard Preston clear his throat.

"What is it?" he sighed, facing him.

Preston had been crying. He couldn't lie to him about this. There was no avoiding the devastation. "Derek, I've got horrible news…"

* * *

Sorry to leave you hanging, but I've had horrible cliffhangers the first two chapters. I've got to make it interesting! Keep the reviews up, everyone, I really do appreciate it! 


	4. The tragedy was just beginning

Recap:

_Preston had been crying. He couldn't lie. "Derek, I've got horrible news…"_

* * *

"What is it, Preston?" his hand twitched involuntarily, and his mind went into overdrive. It had done that only twice before—when Addison had died, and when Grace had gone missing right before Christmas when she was six. 

Preston felt the tears streaking his face, "Derek… it's Grace. She, Mer and Izzie were all leaving the house. The girls were taking her out for a distraction, as planned. The front left tire blew as they were getting on the freeway," his voice caught, worry taking over. "One car flipped over them, and another t-boned the passenger side where Izzie and Grace were. They're on their way here by helicopter… the only thing we've heard so far is that Meredith is in need of neuro—I've called Doctor Ashland down, I didn't think you'd feel like doing that. Izzie is bruised, but conscious…"

Derek was crying, his face ashen, his hands trembling uncontrollably, "What about my baby, Pres? What about Grace?"

"All I know is she's unconscious. Could be a head injury, she could need a neurological consult, but you are too emotionally involved. Which is why I called Dr. Baker in from Mercy South, he's on his way. He's only number two because you're around…"his joke didn't work, but he had to throw it out there.

He didn't try to protest. His heart was broken for his daughter. 'Addison…' he thought, 'please… guide her through this. Bring her back to me. She's just all I have..."

Preston crossed the room in just one swift step, and embraced his long-time friend. Someone he considered a brother, who'd given him the honor of being an uncle. It wasn't uncomfortable to him, to be holding Derek steady, because if someone had just told him Grace had been in an accident, they would be holding him up, keeping him from collapsing. But, right now, he needed to be stronger than that. Someone else was hurting more—Derek needed him right now, and what else would a best friend do?

* * *

Dr. Bailey examined Izzie as quickly as she could. The blonde was impatient and crying, worried out of her mind. "It's my fault, Dr. Bailey. I should've done something. It should be me, not her. Did you know today's her birthday?" 

Dr. Bailey nodded silently. The mother in her couldn't speak, and the doctor in her was getting impatient with Izzie for squirming and talking.

"God, if I would've just waited five minutes to leave. If I would've stalled just a little…" She began crying again, tears violently streaking her pale face. Bailey's heart broke a little, knowing the guilt that she was going through, the thoughts plaguing her.

"I'm going to get someone in here to calm you down, Dr. Stevens, and then when that's happened, I will make sure to update you on the status of both Dr. Grey and Grace. Please, for your sake, try to remain as calm as possible…" Bailey's eyes shone with compassion, something that Izzie had never been on the receiving end of where Bailey was concerned.

"Dr. O'Malley!" Bailey shouted to the resident doctor, who was currently crouched in a corner, his head buried in his hands. He popped up, wiping his eyes and rushing over to her.

"Yes, Dr. Bailey?"

"Are you aware Dr. Stevens, Dr. Grey, and Grace have been in an accident?"

He nodded, and whispered he had heard.

"Stevens is in room 2205, and she needs someone to talk to. That's all you're to worry about, you understand?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey," he started to walk towards Izzie, but stopped, "Thank you."

* * *

"Oh, God Izzie, I was so scared!" He said, rushing over to her and squeezing her. 

"I am still. Any news, Georgie?" Her left cheek was bruised, a large gash was placed on her forehead, and there was a deep, ugly bruise forming on her neck from the seatbelt. All her injuries were mostly to the surface, and he was grateful.

He took a deep breath, "Mer is getting a consult from Dr. Ashland…"

"Neurological? Is she conscious? What about Gracie?"

"She's conscious, but there's some concern about a head injury so they're checking her out. She's getting a CT right now."

"What about Grace? Why won't you answer?" Her eyes widened and filled with tears, "Oh, God… is she dead?"

"No! No, she's just… she's unconscious. That's all I've heard so far. Calm down, a little at least. All this stress can't be healthy. Here's what I'm thinking. You should lie down, just to rest for a few minutes. And I'm going to go check on Grace and Mer, and see if I can't find anything out." He kissed her cheek, and helped her lie down comfortably, before heading to find Grace's room.

"George!" Derek was crying, but ran to him and hugged him. His sadness consumed the hallway, permeated the walls and hit George before he could realize what happened.

"How is she?"

"She's, uh. She's unconscious. She's in a coma… she's got a broken right wrist and both her legs were pinned under Mer's seat… they broke. If she wakes up, she's going to be in a wheelchair for a few months, and then she'll need to do therapy… she'll need to learn how to walk allover again…"

George smiled, "She had enough trouble the first time around. Do you remember when she was just learning, and we were trying to get her used to shoes… and she was smiling so big, and she stood up, took one step and fell on her face?"

"She didn't even cry. She just got up and kept going, kept trying…" Derek started crying again, staring at his frail, helpless baby.

"She'll pull through this, Derek. She's strong; she's a fighter. She's your daughter… she's Addison's daughter. And she will wake up, Derek. Soon…"

"Hopefully. You know as well as I do, George, that if she doesn't wake up or show signs of brain activity within the next 48 hours…" He didn't need to finish. He couldn't.

"Don't think like that. I have to go check on Mer, and then go report back to Izzie. I'll be back in a little bit… if there's any change..."

"I'll page you." Derek hugged him again, and then faced the window to his daughters' room, watching the new interns talking around her, discussing her case. He sighed, and looked away for a second. That's when he heard it… the code blue.


	5. The miracle they needed

It was all so quick. He ran down the hall, saw the nurses rushing in the machines and general panic around the room. It was Meredith Grey's room. "She's bleeding out! Call Bailey and Burke, prepare OR3 and O'Malley, scrub in if you want, but if you're too involved, you leave now, I will not have your emotions interfering with this case!" Dr. Ashland was shouting orders at everyone.

"I can't… I can't be here for this. I'm sorry…" George rushed out of Meredith's room, running straight into Derek. He was panicked, ashen, crying. They both looked into the room, the scene playing before them in slow motion. They watched as Ashland pulled out the defibrillators and applied them to Meredith's chest. They waited patiently for her heart beat to return immediately, but it didn't. They watched as it was recharged, reapplied… and watched with joy as her heartbeat returned. They breathed deeply, relieved. Meredith was alive… but the thought that crept into their heads, that plagued their thoughts in that second after the relief, was how long it would stay that way.

"George… will you go sit with Grace? I want to stay here for a second…"

"Of course, Derek. Please… call me if anything changes," George wiped his eyes, and stepped towards his niece's room.

"You too, George."

George entered Grace's room hesitantly. It was too hard to not cry. But he was a firm believer that even unconscious… they hear things. He had to tell someone, though. He had to get it off his chest. He pulled a chair up to her left side, so he could hold her hand and hopefully not hurt her anymore. He struggled to keep his emotions in check, to keep from crying. He didn't want her to hear him sad, or to scare her. "Hey, Grace. I don't know for sure if you can hear me. I hope you can… I think you can. I know that you know you're the most important thing to all of us. And you know you can't leave us… not now, not like this. You're going to grow old… you've got to make Derek a grandpa, because we both know he'd be so good at that. Look how amazing he was with you. You turned out so well. So amazing. You're the best daughter, the best niece… and we will fall apart if you don't wake up, sweetie. Not too put pressure on you, or make you feel guilty. But…" he broke down, he'd tried to be strong but he knew it could only last so long, "if you need to leave, if you need to be with Addison, your mom… we'll understand. It'll hurt like hell, and we'll be broken. But you do what you need to, angel. You're the glue that holds us together… you're the only thing that kept us all in Seattle."

He squeezed her hand, and kissed her cheek. "Oh, Grace… I have something to tell you… it might cheer you up. It'll definitely make me feel a little better. It's something you've joked about since you were little. Remember how you always said that the reason Izzie and I were still single was because, subconsciously, we knew we were meant to be together? I think you're right, Grace. When I heard about the accident… When I found out you were hurt, my heart broke in a million pieces. The first thing I thought was that I hoped you were all right… and the second thing… was that I didn't know if I could live without Izzie. I'm in love with her, Grace. You were right all these years…"

"Of course I was…"

"DEREK!" George screamed as Grace's eyes flew open.

"Shh, quiet, Uncle Georgie… the yelling hurts." She winced, "so does everything else. What happened?"

Derek ran into the room, panicked. He fell to his knees and laughed through his tears, overjoyed and overwhelmed. "Thank God!" was all he could manage to say.

"Daddy, why does everything hurt?" She looked scared, of course she was.

George decided to speak up, "One of the tires on the car blew as you guys went on the highway. One car flipped over you, and one crashed into your side. You were pinned under the seat, and that broke both of your legs… and the impact broke your right wrist."

"Will I be alright?" She whispered, closing her eyes to avoid crying.

"You'll be in a wheelchair for a few months, and after that, you'll need to go to rehab to learn to walk again. You'll be pretty weak, and you'll have to do physical therapy as well. But you'll be fine." George looked to Derek before continuing. "I need to go check on Mer…"

"And Izzie… you can't forget her," Grace smiled, and looked at him. "You should tell her, you know." She whispered as he kissed her cheek.

"I will, one day… maybe." He laughed as she gave him a stern look; "it's easy for you to say, you're not the one with your heart and pride on the line. Not to mention your best friend in the entire world…"

"Did you finally realize what everyone else has known forever?" Derek laughed.

"Excuse me! You have got to be kidding me. You, of all people…" He shook his head. "If you all really did know, the kind, friendly thing to do would've been to clue me in. I'm going now, please, feel free to make fun of me after I leave…"

"You expect us to wait!" Grace laughed as her dad sat next to her.

"I'll stop by later."

George went to Meredith's room, but it was empty. Empty. 'Oh, God…' he thought, 'Is she dead?' He ran to the nurses' station, "Where is Meredith Grey? She was in room 4694, where is she?"

"Relax, Dr. O'Malley. She's in the operating room."

"She's not…" She shook her head, and he smiled. "Good…"

He rode the elevator down to the second floor, where Izzie was. A million thoughts were running through his mind, what he should say and what he shouldn't… when and where and how it should all happen. He smiled and went to go into her room. He stopped… "No way…" the body standing next to her bed, making her laugh… couldn't be who it looked like it was. It wasn't possible… was it?

It couldn't be Alex Karev, could it?


	6. It was bound to happen eventually

"George…" Izzie looked mildly surprised. He tried to smile, but it faltered and seemed forced, even to him.

"Hey Izzie. How have you been Alex? It's been a long time…"

Alex didn't fake enthusiasm, or even attempt to be interested in answering George; "Listen, O'Malley, I came for her, not to play catch up with you. Do you still practice medicine or have they finally taken pity on the poor souls that have the misfortune of being your patients?" His signature sneer appeared, still in existence, even after all his time away.

"That's uncalled for, Alex. If you plan on being rude to George, you can just leave, because it's not going to happen. Especially not now…"

"It's alright, Iz. I was just making sure you were okay. And to tell you that Grace woke up…"

"Thank God! I'm going to see her!" Izzie made a move to get out of her bed, but Alex was faster.

"Don't be stupid, Izzie. You haven't been cleared by Bailey, and if she's still the same Nazi we knew and despised, you won't get one foot out of that door without her down your throat."

"It's good to know you're still exactly the same, Karev. How's California treating you?" Bailey walked in to the room without a moment's hesitation. " He's right, Stevens. If you were to leave this room before my clearance, I'd have your ass so fast your head would spin. Besides, you twisted your ankle and dislocated your right shoulder…"

"But I feel fine, Dr. Bailey," Izzie interjected.

"And why would that be, hmm? Let's all think about this, shall we? We're medical professionals in a hospital, and you were just in an accident. Does anyone else see where this is going?"

"In her own not-so-subtle way, Bailey's trying to tell you you're doped up, so you can't feel the pain." Karev headed for the door. "I'm in town for a few days, Iz, I'll be back tomorrow."

He pushed past George, almost knocking him over. George glared at his retreating frame, silently saying all the things he'd thought about him since the day they met.

"George, stay with her, I don't want her trying anything stupid." Bailey exited the room but stopped just outside the door. "And if she does anything stupid, I will hold you responsible…"

"That's not fair…" he stopped when both women glared, "Alright, alright, it's a deal."

He sat next to Izzie. "I cannot tell you how happy I am that you're not hurt. I've had enough scares today…"

"What happened? George, what aren't you telling me?" Izzie sat up carefully, trying not to shift her right side too much.

"Meredith's heart stopped momentarily. They brought her back and put her in emergency surgery to stop her internal bleeding and repair the damage to her organs."

"Oh god, this is all my fault!" Her eyes welled up but she continued talking to try and avoid letting them fall, "But Grace, you said she was okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She woke up, which is a great sign. She broke both of her legs, and her right wrist. But other than that, she's fine." He exhaled, and squeezed her hand, "Listen to me, and listen closely because I only have the strength to say this once. This is not your fault. This was an accident, some random twist of fate. I think something out there, something in control, whatever you believe it is, is trying to tell us something. Maybe that we're taking something for granted, or maybe we're just being tested. We think our bond is strong, but maybe it takes something almost catastrophic to show us we're stronger than we think. Personally, I think that I'm supposed to stop taking this for granted. I think I have to do something, to risk everything…"

He looked at Izzie. Her eyes were closed, and she was starting to snore softly. He smiled to himself; "I'm in love with you, Isobel Stevens…"

"You have got to be kidding me!" George spun around to see Alex Karev standing at the door, laughing. "Seriously, O'Malley? Do you honestly think you have a chance?"

"This is none of your business, Karev. Get the hell out of here!" He whispered, getting up from beside Izzie and approaching him. He pushed him out of her room and against a wall. He grabbed Alex's shirt collar and pinned him there, putting his face only a few inches from Alex's. "Listen up, Plastic! I've had enough of you already and I barely spoke to you for five minutes. Ever since we were interns, I knew you were trouble. And you proved it to everyone when you cheated on Izzie with Olivia, you let everyone else know what I saw from moment one—that you are nothing but scum. How dare you come here and try to… do whatever it is you're trying to, after everything you've done to her!"

"Chill out, O'Malley. If you've got that big of an issue with me being here, you should take it up with her."

"Why's that?" He released Alex and took a step back.

Alex used the opportunity to let his fist meet George's face, "Because she's the one who called me."


	7. uncertainty

Derek lifted his head from its spot next to his fragile daughter's arm. He smiled a small, comfortable smile. His baby was all right. His daughter, his miracle, his reason for going on after Addison died… she was going to be fine. Sure, she'd be in some pain, and of course it wouldn't be easy for either of them, for any of them, to see her in such pain. To see her so helpless would kill each of them. But it would be much better, he knew, than what could've been. What might have been, had there been some twist of fate. He kissed her hand and saw from the corner of his eye two bodies in the door. It was George, standing behind Izzie's wheelchair-bound body.

"What are you doing out of bed, Izzie?"

Tears stained her pale face, but she forced a smile. "I had to see her, Derek. When… it happened, I just felt so horrible. I didn't care about me, honestly… all I could think was 'Dear God, if someone is going to die today let it be me'. I know it's not something you approve of, this kind of self-sacrifice. But I would do it again, in a second. I would trade places with her any day, because we need her more than I'm needed," she held up her hand to stop either of the men from interjecting, "You know it's true, and I'm okay with that being a fact. That girl has saved us all from falling apart. From imploding on ourselves and exploding on each other. I just had to make sure she was really okay. Can I… can I have a minute with her, please?"

Derek nodded, and kissed Izzie's forehead as he pushed her to Grace's bedside. "We'll be just outside, so shout if you need us or when it's okay for us to come back."

The men stopped outside the window, watching as Izzie cried and Grace, still half asleep, comforted her beloved aunt. "Did you…"

George blushed slightly, and shook his head. "I didn't get the chance. Karev was in her room when I left here. Then, once he left, I did tell her, but she'd fallen asleep. Karev was eavesdropping, and he just… he made me so angry. He's still that arrogant asshole. He had the nerve to tell me that I wouldn't get her… that I had no chance. And I stood up for myself, ME, of all people. I told him off, I yelled, and then I took a step back, and got this black eye that you've been staring at so openly for the past few minutes. Thank you for that, by the way. It's not like I wasn't already self-conscious over it."

"Alex punched you? What did you say to him?"

"That after he cheated on her with Olivia, she finally saw him for what he really was, what I had seen in him from day one. He didn't like that, I guess. But get this—he didn't just show up, she called him into town…"

"Seriously?" Derek shook his head, and rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sorry, George. Don't worry, the perfect time will come and you'll be able to tell her everything. But don't rush it…"

"DADDY!" Derek looked over, through the window to see Izzie slumped over in the chair. Derek called to the nurses for help, and George panicked. He paused, frozen as he stared at her body, awkwardly crumpled and leaning uncomfortably against the bed of their niece. Everything was happening around him—he was an outsider to it all. Everything was going on in slow motion, and it was void of sound. He saw Grace, her fire-red curls bouncing as she cried for someone to help. He saw the rushing group of his colleagues colliding into the room, hurrying around her and placing her on a bed. Derek was suddenly in front of him, pale and on the verge of breaking down. As soon as he grabbed George's shoulders, he was back to reality. Izzie, his Izzie, was in there, surrounded by doctors and nurses, hurt in some unknown, unimaginable way. He couldn't see her then, in that moment. He heard the doctors shouting orders to each other and to the nurses, heard Grace crying. He heard Derek telling him it would be okay. All he wanted to hear was her bubbly optimism, her strong personality oozing out of her solid voice. All he wanted was to know he'd hear that again. And he didn't know.


	8. It was amazing, really

Meredith Grey woke up to a dim room with machines bleeping around her, ensuring she was still alive. It was the first time her eyes had opened. She wanted to talk, to call out, but her throat was dry and her voice stuck somewhere deep inside it. She pressed the button to call a nurse, and watched Nurse Henderson, her favorite from the ICU, enter her room. "Oh Dr. Grey, you have no idea how long we've waited for you to press that button! How are you feeling? Would you like some water?"

Meredith nodded. She greedily sipped the cool, clear liquid, enjoying the way it comforted and healed her. She hadn't realized before that she had taken that for granted—the simple joy of sipping something. Her head ached and her body throbbed, but she smiled gently. "Thank you. How long have I…"

"It's been just over a week, Dr. Grey." The young nurse looked at her shoes solemnly. "I have to go and page Dr. Shepherd and Dr. O'Malley. They've been here in alternating shifts since you all were admitted, but they went to check on Dr. Stevens… I'll let them explain everything. It's so good to see you awake, Dr. Grey."

"It's Meredith," she said to the brunette's retreating back, "I can't be a doctor while I'm hooked up to these machines."

* * *

George looked down at his pager angrily as it signaled he was needed elsewhere. He sighed and kissed Grace's forehead, "I'm sorry sweetie…" 

"I know, Uncle George. I've been around that sound long enough to know you have to go. So go ahead. I'll be fine," she smiled at the concern that was written across his tired, unshaven face. "I promise!"

"Alright. I'm just worried, after everything that's happened…"

"Go on. Someone out there needs to be saved. And… later, after your shift… you should really shave that beast that's growing on your face. You can't kiss Aunt Izzie with that…"

He shook his head and laughed before kissing her again, "You're absolutely ridiculous. I'll be back as soon as I can be. Page me if you need anything, and I mean anything…"

"Okay." She watched as her uncle walked out of her room. She waited until she was sure he couldn't hear her to begin to cry.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Her eyes popped open, and she wiped furiously at the tears staining her red cheeks. Her Aunt Cristina and Uncle Preston had rushed into the room, each taking a side and defaulting to Doctor mode. She laughed, "Guys… it's all right. I'm okay. I'm just worried about Aunt Izzie. No one's telling me anything, and every time I try to close my eyes to sleep, I just replay that moment all over again…" tears fell again, and her usually stern, almost emotionless aunt crumpled with her.

"Oh, Grace…" Cristina said, after a pause; "I'm so sorry you had to see that whole thing. She didn't tell anyone she'd been feeling ill, because she knew they wouldn't let her come see you. And she didn't think she could wait any longer, because the guilt was killing her. Trust me, though, she's regretting coming here and having you witness that… she feels horribly. She's doing a lot better now that we know something's wrong and we're working really hard to fix it…"

"What she means," Preston cut in, "is that Izzie fainted because of the increased stress on her body from being elevated for the first time in a week. It was the first time she'd actually been sitting upright for more than a few minutes, and her body wasn't ready for the elevation, and the moving. Not to mention how upset she was over the situation as a whole. But it's all better now, sweetie. We're keeping a good eye on her at all times."

Cristina looked at him, grateful he'd known what to say to comfort and calm the young girl.

"If it's okay, I really want to try and sleep now. Don't get me wrong, I want to talk to you both, I've missed you so much… but I don't want to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation…"

"You don't need excuses; we understand. We'll be here for a few hours, visiting everyone. So page us when you wake up from your nap. I love you."

"I love you guys, too. See you in a bit…" She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of their retreating bodies. When she no longer heard their feet on the linoleum tiles of the hall, she let a few more tears fall. Yes, she was upset over her aunt and what had happened just a day ago. But more than that, she could feel the break in her right leg, and she was stubborn like her father—she would face this herself. Without their knowledge. Without their pity. Without their medication to dope her up and block her emotions. She would get through it. What was that saying she'd always loved… "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger…" she smiled to herself. She knew it was foolish, to not tell her doctors and her family that she was in pain. But she was just trying to get through it alone. If it were too much, if it got too hard, she'd tell them.

* * *

Derek and George ran into Preston and Cristina on the elevator. They'd all gotten the same page, and they were on their way to the ICU. Though none of them would say anything, they all shared the same fears. What lied before them, just past those elevator doors… they were scared for their friend, for someone who had been like a sister to them for so long. The doors slid open, and Nurse Henderson was there, waiting, tears streaming down her cheeks. Their faces fell, one by one. Only one remained high, tears welling in his eyes… "Please…" Derek whispered… 


	9. Still Waiting

RECAP:

_Derek and George ran into Preston and Cristina on the elevator. They'd all gotten the same page, and they were on their way to the ICU. Though none of them would say anything, they all shared the same fears. What lied before them, just past those elevator doors… they were scared for their friend, for someone who had been like a sister to them for so long. The doors slid open, and Nurse Henderson was there, waiting, tears streaming down her cheeks. Their faces fell, one by one. Only one remained high, tears welling in his eyes… "Please…" Derek whispered…_

* * *

"Meredith is waiting very patiently for you to explain why she's here." 

George's head snapped up, showing the tears that had been falling while his face was hidden from the others. "You mean…"

"She woke up. She's okay, her vitals are normal and steady… we just thought you guys would like to tell her everything that's happened."

Cristina lunged at the nurse, and everyone attempted to grab her, fearing she'd attack. Instead, she wrapped her arms around the frightened 26-year-old and thanked her. The three men, who'd just stepped out of the elevator, sighed in relief. Cristina's emotions lately were a roller coaster, and all attributed it to the potential tragedy that would've cost her two best friends and one niece.

Preston touched her back, and Cristina redirected the hug to him. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go see her." The group headed to her room slowly, adjusting to the idea of seeing her awake. Seeing her most certainly alive instead of hanging by a thread was certainly cause for excitement, but they hid it in their own ways. Derek reverted to neurosurgeon—stern, expressionless face, preparing to tell a patient news on their condition. George went into protective best friend mode—he didn't want her to know how bad everything was, even though as a doctor, he knew it wasn't necessarily a smart thing to withhold information. He wasn't her doctor, though, and that's how he rationalized his emotions over that. Preston tried to think about other things, like exactly why Cristina had hugged the poor, terrified nurse, who'd most certainly heard the rumors of Cristina's volatile temper and overly strict command over her interns and anyone in her OR. And Cristina was just happy to not only have her friend back, but her confidant. She'd been holding it in too long as it was, and she had thought that after everything they'd been through the past few weeks, maybe this was just a sign everything was getting better.

They entered her room, which was now completely lit, with the curtains open and looking out over the city of Seattle. She was looking outside before she felt the slight shift of the room's energy. She smiled at them--at the people she'd been waiting forever to see, it seemed. She looked at them, one by one, from Derek to George to Preston, before resting her gaze on Cristina. She held out her arms and wiggled her fingers, looking much like a lost child who'd just found its mother. Cristina burst into tears, releasing Preston's hand and falling into Meredith's embrace. "We're going to give you two a minute." George whispered, smiling, and exiting to talk to the nurse's outside.

"Meredith… I'm so happy you're awake! I've been waiting for so long to tell someone…"

"What's going on?"

Cristina sighed, and smiled, "Burke asked me to marry him yesterday. We didn't want to tell anyone until after we knew the three of you were okay. And now that you're awake, I wanted you to be the first to know."

"Oh, that's terrific! I'm so happy."

"It gets better… you're going to be an aunt…"

"OH MY GOD! Seriously? Does everyone know?"

Cristina shook her head and smiled, "I haven't even told Burke yet. You're the first to know that too. It's a good day for you, wouldn't you say?"

"It's a good day for all of us; we've been waiting for this for over 15 years…" and just saying that, she realized there was the potential for bad news. "Speaking of fifteen years… how is she? How are they?"

"Guys!" Cristina summoned the men back into the room. She couldn't tell her everything that happened. She couldn't say that without emotion, and she didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was.

They all sat down around her bed, and explained the details of the accident, the extent of her injuries and those of Grace and Izzie, and George made an attempt to distract her from that pain by filling her in on the new surgical cases. The group chimed in with their new cases. Cristina had a 19-year-old girl with a golf ball in her small intestine, who was refusing to say how it got there; Derek had a seizing 28-year-old who had no neurological reason for her epilepsy, but because other things had been ruled out, she was still in his care; and George told her about the new cases from every department since his personal cases were typical and boring.

Meredith laughed at their stories, at their attempts to lighten the mood that had plummeted after the discussion of the accident. "So, when do you think I'll be able to see them?"

The group looked at each other, knowing they would have to tell her eventually, but all not ready to break that news just yet.


	10. The secrets we keep can kill

_Okay, here's what's been going on in my mind as I've written the past few chapters. Originally, one of the three in the accident was going to die, and I had settled on Grace. Then I realized how horrible and tragic that would be, and decided it would be Meredith. But after everything she's done and gone through on the show, you can't kill her off yourself because she is a part of you. So that left Izzie… but I am extremely fond of Izzie's flexible character, because she makes writing plots pretty simple. And that left me with no one dead. And if I can't kill them, something bad is going to happen to at least one of them eventually. Something tragic and unexpected and unhappy and it will kill me, but you've been warned—it's out there! Oh, and also, I realize I've been leaving people out of the chapters without really thinking about it. So I'm trying to change that…

* * *

_

Derek nodded at the rest of the group, and they slowly left after saying goodbye. "Listen, Mer, there's something we haven't told you yet. About your condition…"

"What is it? It can't get much worse than what it is now…" and she stopped, realizing something but ignoring it. That was about as easy to accomplish as ignoring an elephant standing on your toe.

"There was damage to your spinal cord, and until you're stable enough for us to operate, you won't be able to move your legs. Unfortunately, the longer we wait, the greater the chance for permanent paralysis, and if we go in too soon, you won't make it. You know the risks, I know… but the nerves kicked in and I went into default. Do you want to talk about it?"

Meredith shook her head. "Can Grace or Izzie come see me, since it's quite obvious I won't exactly be able to see them?"

"Grace still hasn't had her surgery yet, it'll be done tomorrow, and if she's up for it I don't see why she can't visit you in two days. Izzie is on bed rest and is being supervised constantly because she is foolish and stubborn, and likes to believe it's okay to lie to her physician about her dizziness while being elevated…" he stopped and looked at Meredith, who was trying to hide her laughter. "What's so funny?"

"You're nervous again. Your cheeks are flushed, and you're babbling like an idiot… why are you so nervous?"

He wanted to tell her, he did. He wanted to say that for the first time in over 15 years, he didn't look at Grace and see Addison, and that for the first time in 15 years he wanted to be with someone and didn't feel like he was cheating on his wife. The accident had scared him, and shocked him back to reality. Yes, he would always love Addison. But she wouldn't want him to be lonely forever. One day, Grace was going to grow up, move away, and start her own family. And yes, he'd have this extended family that had formed through Grace and the hospital… but they'd go home at night, and he'd be alone. But stronger than his fear of being alone was his desire to be with her again. He'd thought about it before, but didn't want to do anything that would negatively affect Grace's perception of either of them. He had loved her for over seventeen years; seeing her at the hospital he could push away that jumping feeling of his heart, but when she came to the house, and when she was so good with his daughter… he saw another chance to say it all slipping away. Was now the time? No, of course not… she'd just found out she may be permanently paralyzed.

He took a deep breath, "Meredith, I can't do this right now. There's too much going on and there's not enough time or energy or happiness to fix everything that's wrong. Maybe I waited too long. Maybe it's not supposed to be…"

"What are you talking about Derek? I'm not sure I'm following you, and if I am… you need to explain what's going on right now, because I can't take this right now."

"Exactly! You can't take this right now. And I can't either. This is too much; it's too hard. I have to go, I have to check up on Izzie and talk to Grace's doctor…" and with that, Derek turned and left the room. He kept his brave face on until the elevator doors closed. He paused for a second before hitting the stop button and crying.

* * *

Grace awoke with a smile, from a really good dream. She'd been to a party, and it had felt like hers. There was a cake in the fridge, one of Izzie's famous layered "Neapolitan" cakes—strawberry filling in between vanilla cake layers with chocolate frosting. There were mountains of presents, all brightly wrapped and visually appealing. She never got to open them, but she knew they were what she wanted. They laughed and celebrated another year. And her mother had been there. She had never known her, but when she saw her in the dream she knew. She hadn't looked like herself—Grace had seen the pictures, kept in the shrine her father had dedicated to her and to their marriage. But the mom in her dream, she was happy. She'd had short hair, but was still red, and it was wavy. She was gorgeous, but very pale. She made Grace feel peaceful—it was an alien feeling. She was happy, yes. But hidden inside of her was a turmoil she'd never expressed, not even to herself. She loved her life, and her family. However, her mother was missing from that picture, and she knew that half of her was lost with her. Sure, she could hear all about her mother's family from her father, and from the few biological relatives that were alive and bothered to call her.

She didn't realize someone had been sitting with her as she thought about those things. Her Aunt Cristina watched her expressions change as she stared at the ceiling. "It's good to see you, Gracie. How was your little nap?"

"It was… okay. What's up?" Grace shimmied gently into a semi-upright position with a groan. Her legs ached, but she refused the morphine drip. She was surprised the nurses hadn't told her doctor… or her father.

"It's Meredith. There's something we haven't told you yet, that we've been waiting to tell you until she woke up…"

"Wait," Grace interjected, "Aunt Mer woke up? Can I see her?"

"Yes, earlier today. We got the page that she'd woken up just after you wanted to nap, and we didn't want to wake you. Here's the latest news… Aunt Mer might not be able to walk again sweetie…"

"You mean she might be paralyzed? Forever?"

"It depends, really. If in the next few days she stabilizes enough to operate, she should be fine. There are risks with the surgery, as you know. Without the surgery, she'll be permanently paralyzed. If they try to go in too early, she could die. She's got a good team watching over her, keeping an eye on her vitals to ensure we don't wait too long or go in too soon."

Grace rested her eyes. Something wasn't right. What was it? "Aunt Cristina…"

"What is it sweetheart? Grace?" Cristina heard the machines ring, a familiar sound she'd hoped to not hear in that room. Her heart was dropping; her brain pressure increasing… they'd missed something, but what? "Somebody help! Code Blue!"

* * *

"But there's a chance she'll be fine? I mean, she could walk again?" Izzie whispered as she grasped George's hand.

"There's a chance. The best thing we can do right now is think positively—it's not what we're used to as doctors, really, to hope for the best. She's out best friend, though, and a part of me is sure that she's going to pull through this. Her best chance rests on her stability, so the faster she's stable, the better the outcome. She wants to see you, she asked about you and Grace. I told her I'd try to get Bailey to let you up there in a few hours, but I don't think she's going to okay that with your stunt…"

"I made a mistake, but honestly I'm fine! I swear!"

"You said you were fine before, too. It's like you're the boy who cried wolf… except you're the woman who cried well…"

"Oh you're so funny, Georgie. Just go talk to Bailey will you? I have to get out of this room, and if she doesn't clear me I will do it myself."

"Like hell you will! Don't make me stay here, day in and day out, until Bailey releases you. Because eventually we'll both get sick of that, and you'll end up hating me and resenting me…"

"I could never hate you, George, don't be ridiculous!" Izzie held her breath, wondering how that sounded on his end. If it had sounded as desperate for the truth as she'd felt when she'd said it. Something changed in her, when she saw him after the accident. Like fate finally stepped in and showed her what she'd been refusing to acknowledge for so long—She was in love with her best friend. She was terrified and exhilarated by that one thought. She could see herself marrying him, and loving him forever… having his children and making a life with him. But did he see it?

"George, there's something I need to tell you… and I don't think it can wait any longer…"

"What is it?"

Burke burst into the room, "Grace just coded, I need you to find Derek NOW!"

George looked at Izzie with a fleeting glance before she shouted, "GO damn it, and come back when you know anything…"

Bailey walked in shortly after; "Listen, as much as I don't want to do this, we need you in Meredith's room. She just found out about Grace, and her vitals are all over the place. I know you're stable now and as much as I want to keep you bed-ridden as a punishment, I need you up there to keep her calm while everyone else is down with Grace. So you're officially on release, but if you feel even a twitch in your eye, you better say something, are we clear?"

"Thank you, Dr. Bailey..."

"Don't thank me. Thank George. That boy is so head over heals in love with you he can barely speak..." Bailey froze, before turning around to leave.

"Wait, What!"

"You heard me... stop stalling and get your ass up to Grey's room!"

Izzie's head reeled with the idea that it could all work out... and then her optimism was shattered when she realized two people she loved as family were seriously damaged, and it was all her fault.


	11. Everyone says I love you

Izzie stepped hesitantly into Meredith Grey's room, preparing for the worst and hoping she'd be wrong. Cristina had beaten her to Meredith's room, and she'd pulled an empty bed next to her best friends. Izzie paused in the door, leaning against the frame and listening to their conversation. "I was with her, Mer… when she coded. I had to see her…" Cristina's voice broke, and Izzie knew she was crying. The emotionless and brutally honest intern that had won them over by showing her human side to them, the strong and unbreakable Dr. Yang was breaking down before her very eyes. Izzie almost couldn't take it. "One minute, we were sitting there and having a conversation about your condition… and the next thing I know, she whispers my name and then… I should've known. I should've done something…"

"It's not your fault, Cristina. You're a doctor, and you're her aunt… but you're not God. You had no way of knowing," Izzie stepped into the room with tears rolling down her cheeks. "She's going to pull through this, right? She's strong and stubborn… she can't give up, can she?"

Cristina shifted her body closer to Meredith's and patted the bed next to her, inviting Izzie into their sleepover. "I don't know. I love her, so I want to say she will. I want to believe she's too young to die and she's too smart to quit… but we have to be honest. We're doctors, for God's sake. We've seen children and infants come in here and leave in caskets. It's possible that she won't make it." Cristina squeezed her eyes shut, and it looked to Izzie like she was trying to forget she was a doctor. To forget she had to be semi-logical when the only thing she wanted to do at that moment was to believe whole-heartedly that her only niece would make it out of this alive.

"No, she'll be okay." Meredith chimed in as she turned to look at her friends; "She has no choice. She knows Derek needs her, and she wouldn't let him down."

"We all need her!" Cristina said, a look of hurt on her face, "Did you ever think that maybe Addison wants her turn now?" She paused, a look of shock and disgust creeping across her face, "I just sounded like Izzie and it's really creeping me out…" Izzie slapped her playfully on the arm as Meredith nodded in agreement.

"I want to go check on her," Izzie said, "especially since George is supposed to keep me updated on her and…"

"So have you guys finally told each other you're in love?" Meredith winked at Cristina as Izzie blushed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mer…"

"Yes you do! Of course you do. You honestly can't think that we'd believe you're that clueless…" Meredith's eyes grew wide as she looked at her friend, "you didn't know, did you? All these years and you had no clue how he felt?"

"I'm going to check on Grace…" Izzie leapt from the bed and rushed for the door.

"How did she not know?" Cristina laughed at Izzie's retreating figure.

"And if you knew… A real friend would've said something!" Izzie shouted from down the hall, only fueling the flames of their laughter.

"Honestly though… how could she not know? I mean… back in the day, I knew. I didn't want to, but I knew how George felt. A small part of me did, anyway. And I do regret what I did to him, still, because we're not how we used to be."

"None of us are, Mer. We all grew up. We're not the interns anymore. Now it doesn't matter that Izzie used to be a model and was constantly peppy and annoying. It doesn't matter that you slept with the married attending." Cristina paused with a small smile as her hand rested on her stomach, "And it doesn't matter that I only have one fallopian tube, apparently, because now we're finally having the child I was too afraid to have before."

"You're going to be a good mom, Cristina."

"Do you think so?" Cristina looked nervous, apprehensive; "Because sometimes I worry I'm not sensitive enough. What if I have this beautiful little girl, and she comes home from school and wants to talk about some crush she's gotten on some boy? I really don't know if I'll be able to talk about things like that… I don't know what it's like to be that into boys as a teen. I was the book girl, the smart girl... the girl you'd give your homework to. I wasn't the one who had crushes… I'm scared."

Meredith looked into her eyes, "What you'll do is send her to visit her Aunt Izzie, who definitely remembers what it's like being 16 and having crushes on every boy that crosses her path. And when she wants to know what to do after she makes mistakes… huge mistakes that she thinks will ruin her life… for those you send her to me. I wrote the book on life-altering mistakes. When she needs to know how to prepare for tests, or where she should go to college, or how to be strong under pressure, she'll go to you. You'll be great, and where you're unsure, you've got 6 other people waiting in the wings to take over."

"Mer, there's only 5 of you. Burke, Derek, George, Izzie and you."

Meredith just smiled, "And Gracie."

* * *

Izzie saw George sitting on the ground, his hands holding his face. A part of her wanted to turn around, to run back to Meredith's room and avoid the possibilities that were before her, but instead she ran to him. "George!"

His head popped up, his face showing every emotion possible as he stood. "What…"

"Bailey cleared me to stay with Mer and help watch her and her vitals, but Cristina's up there and I had to… I had to be here." She stepped forward hesitantly, closing the gap between them. "How is she?"

"They haven't told me yet. Derek's in there… not operating, obviously, he can't stop shaking. He's standing off to the side, trying to be strong…" George let a tear slip down his cheek. He looked away from Izzie, not wanting the woman he loved to see him cry.

Izzie gently turned his face back, almost laughing at his expression of confusion. She bit the smile, and closed her eyes, leaning forward into his lips. The hospital around her faded away; she no longer felt the pain in her heart for her niece and her friends; she could no longer smell the medicinal scent that clung to the walls. She only knew the sensation of his lips against hers, of his hands touching her face, the way his face felt in her fingertips. She pulled back, keeping her eyes closed.

"What was that?" George whispered, looking into her peaceful face.

"That was me realizing what I haven't for far too long. I should've known. I should've listened to my heart. You know... my stomach… it always did these weird somersaults whenever you'd walk into the room… but I thought it was just me being excited to see you. And my heart, my god, that really should've tipped me off. It pounds, literally pounds, when I think about seeing you. Or when I really do see you. I can feel it in my toes it beats so hard… Why didn't you tell me?"

George smiled, "I was afraid. I didn't want you to not love me back… I didn't want to lose you. So I let it sit for years. I wanted to tell you so many times…"

"You should've said something. We could have had years. We could be…" she paused, afraid that saying the wrong thing might panic him, "… married with kids or something. Who knows! But you kept quiet, and everyone but me knew how much I loved you. I'm blind…"

"Do you think we'd be married with kids? Seriously?" George smiled at her, the idea of Izzie as his wife, and holding an infant in her arms with a toddler grasping her legs. Izzie, the instant homemaker, mother to everyone but wife to none… she was thinking about the possibility of being his forever.

They momentarily forgot the desperate situation that was playing out just a few feet away. Behind closed doors, their beloved niece fought for her life. It was a battle they all hoped she would win… but could one more thing go right for their family? Was it too much to ask? Derek rushed out of the operating room in a daze, tears streaking his tired, worn face. "Guys… She's okay…" he smiled, something he feared he would never be able to do again. "She's alive."

"Thank God!" Izzie exclaimed, running to embrace her friend. "What happened?"

"Her body was under a lot of stress, and her injuries were causing her lots of pain…"

"Which is why she was given a morphine drip…" George interrupted.

"Except that, for some reason, she never used her drip. She refused the medication, which pushed her body into shock and forced her into survival mode. Since her body was already weakened, her heartbeat increased at such a rapid pace to try and recuperate. That of course just made things worse and she crashed. Her heart began to fail, and her brain pressure increased. The doctors, they did a magnificent job. They didn't quit on her…" Derek paused to smile at his friends, "And neither did you guys. I'm going to go tell Cristina and Mer the good news!"

George didn't say anything. Words weren't enough. He just kissed her again, longer and deeper, with more emotion. "We should go up there too. Tell them…"

"Oh, they know…" Izzie laughed as pink crept into his cheeks. "They didn't get to you?"

"Did Grace tell them? Or Derek?"

"Oh, god… you mean everyone knew before us?"

"No, just before you!"

She kissed him… she didn't know why it had gotten so comfortable to do that so quickly. Logically you'd think it would take a while to warm up to the idea of kissing your best friend…. Someone you'd known for over 16 years. But it felt so right and natural, that she couldn't believe she hadn't been doing it her whole life.

"George… before we go up there… there's something I have to tell you. About my past…"

"Sure. What is it?"

She took a deep breath, "I had a child, when I was sixteen. I put her up for adoption and I haven't seen her since. I just wanted to tell you… I haven't told anyone about that."

He grabbed her hand, "Let's go see our friends, and celebrate our niece…."

"You don't have anything to say?"

"No. It doesn't change who you are, or how I feel about you. You were young, you made a mistake, but you handled it the only way you knew how, and you have had to live with that decision alone for over 20 years. What can I say? It's not going to change the situation… So, no, I don't have anything to say about it. Except that I love you."

"You're nuts, you know that?" Izzie smiled and shook her head. How did everything always go wrong and right, all at once? "Come on, let's go celebrate."

* * *

Derek walked into the room crying, and immediately both women began to weep. "She's gone?" Cristina cried, her hand flying to her mouth in disbelief. She and Mer had still been discussing her future… and now they were seeing their niece before their eyes, her fragile body broken and not moving. Deathly still…

"No… she made it. She's all right…" Derek smiled, rushing to Meredith's bedside to embrace her gently. "She's going into recovery now."

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Cristina didn't know where the anger came from at that moment, but it was there and it was strong. Maybe it was just all of the stress, the fear and the fact that it was out of her control. That must've been it. She saw the confusion on Derek's face, and she felt bad, but she was still angry...

"Cristina… relax. It's going to be okay now. We've got six people looking out… waiting in the wings." Meredith rested her hand on her friends stomach, "Don't take it out on him, okay?"

Cristina just nodded before responding, "It's time for me to go find Burke…"

As they watched her get on the elevator, Derek asked, "What exactly was that about?"

"It's not my news… You'll have to wait until she's ready…" Meredith smiled at him, "So she's good…"

"She's perfect!"

Meredith just nodded, and he continued, "So, what I had to tell you before… I don't know if I can do it."

"You should. Whatever you have to say… well, I can keep a secret, so whatever it is, it won't leave this room."

Derek sighed, "That's just it. When I say it, it won't be a secret. It'll never be a secret again."

"Well…"

"I'm in love with you…"

"Oh. My. God." Izzie and George waited outside the door, jaws ajar.

"This is some celebration..."


	12. Seeing is Believing

Grace's eyes flickered open. She heard silent, hushed voices in her room, but it was dark. She tried to listen closely to their conversation, try to determine whom the voices belonged to.

"I'm sorry, Derek, but it's permanent." A male said. There was a sorrow in his voice, and she knew it was serious. And it was about her.

"What do you mean? I don't understand…" That was her Aunt Izzie. She was crying, Grace could tell… Izzie had this thing where, when she cried her breath caught somewhere after intake and before exhale, and it made her sound sort of like she was choking each time.

"When she coded, there was pressure in her brain cavity. We didn't have time to run scans because we'd lose her and the pressure in her brain was a great contributor to her condition. We did exploratory and found a broken vessel in her occipital lobe…"

"Daddy?" Grace's voice sounded far away to her. It was quiet, and she was hoarse.

She heard footsteps, lots of footsteps. "Grace, sweetie! It's so good to hear your voice again…"

"What's wrong?"

"Sweetie, we'll talk about it later…"

"No. We'll talk about it now, Daddy. Could you open the shades first though? I can't see you…" Grace heard Izzie choke, and she knew that was it. "Am I… Daddy, why can't I see?"

Izzie was now openly crying, as was someone else. She didn't recognize this one. "Who's here with you Aunt Izzie?"

"It's me, Gracie." It was Uncle George, crying. She wasn't used to that, and it scared the hell out of her.

"Please don't cry…" she whispered, stretching her arm out slowly in their direction. She felt George's hand first, slightly larger and rougher, with large knuckles and a wide base. Then came Izzie's—her soft, small hand with the long, gentle fingers that wrapped around Grace's hand and linked fingers with George's. They were holding hands over her hand. "So, when were you going to tell me?"

Derek cleared her throat, "Soon… as soon as we figured out what we were going to do…"

"No, not you Daddy…" She said, cutting him off. She tilted her head in the direction of her aunt and uncle. "When were you two going to tell me you've both spilled your guts and realized you're crazy in love with each other?"

Derek laughed, and she could see (in her mind, of course) Izzie's mouth curve into a shy smile, and George's cheeks flush slightly. "How did you…"

"You guys are holding hands over mine. I'm blind but I'm not stupid…" It was meant as a joke, it was. But it sounded a little harsh when she heard it out loud. "I didn't mean to be blunt or anything. I'm just… trying to deal with this. So that doctor… he said it's permanent?"

"You heard that?"

Grace nodded, and blinked. She was trying to get used to having her eyes open, knowing they were open, but seeing nothing but black. She wondered what it would be like, to be blind. She wondered if the blind saw the slight change in the shade of their eyelids if they looked at the sun with their eyes closed. Now she would find out, she thought…

"We thought you were sleeping. I'm calling in an old friend from New York. He's a specialist, and he's agreed to come here as a favor for me. Right now we just need to keep hoping…"

Grace smiled. "What if I forget…" she felt the tear slide down her cheek and knew they were watching her. "What if I forget what the world looks like? Or what you look like… or what I look like? What's going to happen if this is permanent?"

"We'll deal with that once we know it is…"

"I want to deal with it now! All my life I've delayed my response to certain events because I was afraid. And now… all of that seems so trivial. I'm blind… and we need to face it now because I might not be strong enough later. So what are we going to do?"

"We're going to talk to counselors, because this is a huge change. We're going to rearrange set up of the house, all the furniture. We'll move your room to the first floor…"

"I like my room. I know the set up of it by heart. I don't want to have to relearn that… can we try it for a while the way it is?"

Derek sighed, "I would sweetie, but with your condition,"

"Call it what it is Dad! I'm blind!"

"Not that… he's talking about your legs. They're still broken, so for the first few months you're going to need to be on the first floor because you can't go up the stairs." George whispered gently, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Oh. I'm sorry…"

She felt her father shift next to her, and then felt him kiss her cheek. "I understand, Gracie. This is hard on you, and I expect this. I mean, you've been so easy to handle earlier in your teen years, I knew the rebellion would strike sooner or later. You're frustrated and angry and you're going to be hurt for a long time from this… but you need to remember that we're here for you. All of us…"

"We've got good news, Gracie!" Izzie said, the familiar cheer returning to her voice slightly.

"Oh? It wasn't good enough that you guys are together, because I've been waiting for that since my third birthday…"

"Very funny, young lady. But no, there is in fact better news. Much better news."

"Like what? Did Daddy finally tell Aunt Mer that he's in love with her too, because that would be much overdue…"

"Does near-death experience make you psychic or something?" George whispered to Izzie.

"OH MY GOD!" Grace shrieked, squeezing her dad's hand. "You did it? You really did it? Oh, god, tell me everything!"

"I will in due time. But that wasn't the good news…"

"There's more? I don't think my fragile heart can take it all…" She winced a little, and then said solemnly, "Sorry… I just realized that's not the best phrase to use right now…"

"It's okay. The news is that not only are Burke and Cristina getting married but… She's pregnant!"

"No way! Seriously?" Grace smiled. "Wow, so all it took for everything to come together was me nearly dying… I'll keep that in mind…"

Izzie slapped her shoulder and laughed, but Derek and George saw the tears streaking her cheeks again.

"And they're going to come down here with some dinner, and we're all going to eat a nice restaurant style dinner to celebrate your birthday and their engagement and baby, and of course George and Izzie's news."

"We're here!" Cristina's voice was loud, but it barely squeaked out. That, Grace knew, meant she'd been crying and was upset.

"I'm glad, Aunt Cristina. Hi, Uncle Burke. And how's my mini-cousin doing? When will we know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Actually," Burke started, "We're going to wait to find out until he or she is born."

"What are you going to do about names?"

"I was thinking that we could just have a few picked out for each gender, and we'd choose the one that most fit his or hers personality and looks." Cristina sounded happy, and Grace smiled. She knew about the last pregnancy… about how this baby was most certainly a miracle.

"That sounds like a good plan. That's what I did with Grace. Sort of…"

"Only because you were forced to!"

"Aunt Mer?"


	13. chapter 13

Burke had authorized Meredith to transfer into Grace's room. He had thought they both would need the love and support, and with them both in the same room, it would make visiting hours less stressful for the family as a whole. He kept in mind that they would all be returning to work, and the visits would only be after shifts or during lunches. The two of them needed each other, now more than ever, and he'd be damned if a few floors were going to prevent that from happening.

"Yes, Gracie, it's me. What I meant was that, as you know, your mom died before they discussed a name for you."

"And so he named me Grace because he said I exuded it as a baby, and then after her…"

Derek had made that up, of course, but she was the only one that knew that. He had named her Grace after the hospital, Seattle Grace, where he had met Meredith. The hospital that had brought him and his wife back together. The hospital where his daughter had been conceived… But she didn't need to know those reasons. His excuse wasn't a bad one, nor was it a lie, and he was proud of himself for coming up with it on the spot. As a ten year old, Grace had developed the habit of asking obscure questions, like "Who named me?" and "Why"? He'd had to make it up so fast, he wasn't sure it was even believable, but she was satisfied with the response.

"That's right, sweetie. What Mer was trying to say was that I only named you on sight because I'd had no choice. I couldn't have such a beautiful daughter growing up without a name!" Derek smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Guys, I'm really glad we're all here as a family, but if we don't eat soon, I might fall asleep." Grace yawned to prove her point, and they all began to eat and talk.

"So, Meredith, when's your surgery?"

"Dr. Ashland came in today for a consult and said it was on the board for tomorrow at 9 am. It's normal, to be nervous, right? I mean… I might never walk again if this doesn't turn out right…"

The room fell silent, and Grace felt like they were all staring at her. "It's okay to be nervous, even scared. I'm terrified I'll never see again, but I know that you guys will help me get through this, and I'll live a normal life. I'll go to college, meet a really hot guy and get married and have lots of babies…"

"How do you know he'll be hot?" Izzie said with a laugh, but everyone saw her face begin to crumble at the thought of her niece being blind permanently.

"I'll ask everyone, of course. I trust you and Aunt Mer, and Aunt Cristina. You'll be the first ones I ask. Of course, even if you guys think he's not that cute, I'll obviously love him for other reasons, like how smart he is, or how funny and nice…"

"That's how it should be anyway, sweetie…" Cristina said, kissing Burke.

"I know, but when you can see, it's so much easier to just judge on looks and the physical aspects… When you can't rely on your eyes, you've got to trust other senses and your instincts. So even if I go to college and end up with the ugliest guy in the world, he's got to be pretty fantastic. I just don't see myself with anyone who's not…" Grace ate the last bite of her chicken sandwich and took a sip of her juice, smiling at herself. "I did a pretty good job eating that on my own…"

No one had the heart to tell her that she'd dropped napkins and fries everywhere. It was the first time she'd eaten alone without being able to see her food, and the mess she made was insignificant compared to the smile that lit up her face. "You did great. Well, Izzie and I have to come into work early tomorrow for surgeries, so we're going to leave now. We'll come and visit on our breaks. Good night, honey." George said, as he bent to kiss her cheek.

"Good night. If you need anything, even just to say hi, you call me. Any time, any where, okay?" Izzie whispered as she kissed the girl's forehead.

"I promise, Aunt Izzie. You guys drive carefully, and sleep tight…"

The two of them left together, hand in hand, and talked about Grace. "She'll pull through this. I mean, I know she won't see ever again, but she'll adjust eventually? It won't hurt this badly forever, will it?" Izzie asked him as they got to the car.

"No. When she starts getting around better on her own, and goes off to college… when it doesn't hurt for her anymore, it won't hurt as much for us." George replied. "Let's go get some rest, and we'll try to worry about this in the morning."

Cristina and Burke kept up conversation, asking Grace about the colleges she was debating. "Well, I was thinking about some East Coast schools…"

"Like Harvard?" Exclaimed Burke

"Or Yale?" Cristina smiled at her niece, who was shaking her head.

"Not Ivy League, I don't have grades that good! But maybe Brown…Now, I'm thinking I'm going to stay in Seattle. Live at home until I'm ready to get an apartment…"

"That's a reasonable plan, and I'd love for you to stay here… but I don't want you to restrict your options because of your limitations…"

"I know, Daddy… Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm really tired…"

"Of course. Good night." They all said their good-byes, and left.

* * *

"Grace, sweetie. Are you still awake?" Mer whispered. 

"Uh huh…"

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"What's tomorrow?"

"It's your surgery, and your consultation with your Dad's friend from New York…"

"Oh… not really. I guess not. I don't know yet. Ask before you leave for your surgery…"

"All right. Good night…"

* * *

Grace awoke in the morning, feeling like she'd missed something. "Aunt Mer?" She whispered. There was no response, and she couldn't hear her aunt's machines humming anymore. Terrified, she paged her family of doctors. 

Derek arrived first. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

"Where's Aunt Mer? What happened to her?" Grace's voice was panicked, and she was biting her lip—the nervous habit she'd developed in Junior High.

Derek sighed in relief, as Izzie and Cristina ran into the room. He held up a hand to tell them everything was fine, and sat next to her. "Grace, Meredith's surgery started an hour ago. It will take at least 5 hours to complete, and then she'll be in recovery for awhile. Your surgery is in an hour and a half, and to help keep you occupied, I brought in your radio and your c.d.'s. You'll have to keep the volume relatively low, so that it won't disturb other patients or the staff, and so that you'll know if someone comes in here to discuss the surgery." He patted her hand, and was about to leave, when she spoke again.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"How will I know what c.d. I'm picking out?" Her lip trembled, and Cristina and Izzie rushed to her side, hugging her close and stroking her hair.

"You know, I don't have a surgery scheduled until one… I think I'll stick around here and see what kids these days call music…" Cristina chimed in, looking from Derek to Izzie. They both nodded in approval, so she continued. "Derek, could you tell Burke where I'm going to be until then, and Izzie make sure to tell my interns to come here for their assignments…"

"Aunt Cristina…"

"No arguing. I'm taking a break, and you can't stop me." Derek and Izzie quietly said their good-byes and left the room. Cristina picked up the c.d. case and began flipping through. "Oh, Grace, no! You own Britney Spears' albums? Who raised you?" she exclaimed in disgust.

Grace giggled, "Hey, she's a classic!"

"To be classic, you must have class! Oh God, it's gotten worse! Nsync and Backstreet Boys? This isn't even your era, sweetie!"

"Hey, blame Izzie…" Grace's hand flew to her mouth, realizing she'd given away her aunt as the Bad Music Culprit.

Cristina snorted in laughter, and picked a c.d. at random. Cristina was surprised to hear something that sounded familiar on the unlabeled c.d. "Grace, who is this?"

Grace smiled, "That's Uncle Preston and me…"

* * *

_sorry to any N'Sync, Back Street Boys, and Britney Spears fans that may get angry at me for referring to them as bad artists. If it makes you feel better, I actually own every cd all three have put out, and was once a huge fan... lol thanks for reviewing (you know you want to!)_


	14. Is it ever too late?

Meredith's eyes blinked open hesitantly. "It's nice to see you do that again. It's been awhile…"

"How long…"

Derek smiled at her and sat down next to her. "Your surgery ended just over 2 hours ago. Grace is down in surgery now, so I thought I'd wait here for you to wake up."

"How did it go?" He just nodded, and that's all she needed. "Oh, thank god!" A tear slipped down her cheek and with it all her fears faded away. She could walk. She would still be able to be a doctor. It was the only thing she needed to know at the moment. She didn't care about Derek's confession just a day ago; she didn't need to respond to it. It was what it was, and she would handle it when they knew more about Grace.

"So, according to the doctors, you should be starting physical therapy next week, and then in about two months…"

"Two months! That long?"

Derek stared at her, "Being a doctor doesn't mean you'll make some miraculous recovery from a major surgery, Meredith. You of all people should know that." The words had hinted slightly to her mother's condition, and they stung. He'd hit her hard without realizing it, until he heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I just meant that you've seen some of the best doctors go in for surgery and then have to work hard to get back to normal. I'm just saying that you should keep in mind that this was a really big surgery…

"You don't think I know that? I'm the one that had to get the news that I might never walk again, and that if they performed the surgery I needed to walk too soon, I would lose my life! I'm the one that got told by you the day before this major surgery that you were still in love with me after over 15 years of me waiting patiently for you to come around. I'm the one that could've died today without telling you that I loved you… And I'm the one that needs to tell you now that it might be too late for us." She took a deep breath, "maybe it's time for you to go check on Grace."

He just nodded. He wasn't sure if she meant what she'd said or if she was just upset. He was hoping she was angry, that this would pass and they could be together. He wanted to have the life that he was always meant to have with her. She was his future, he knew. He closed his eyes and could see Grace, running around with their children—the little siblings he and Addison never got the chance to give her. He could see them starting a private practice just on the outskirts of Seattle. But, as he was learning, seeing wasn't everything. He sighed, and left for his daughter's room.

* * *

"Burke?"

Preston stopped, knowing the voice. "What can I do for you, Megan?"

She was behind him. He could feel her, just inches away from him. "The same thing you always could do for me…" She reached her hand out and touched his shoulder. Preston flinched, flying out of her reach as if her fingers had burnt him.

"That's not me, Megan. You're looking for someone who doesn't exist anymore." He held up his hand, stopping her argument. "I was foolish. She is my life. And right now, this is my career and my future and my family that you're interfering with. Whatever happened then will never happen again. You need to leave."

"Can't. I'm here for Derek…"

"You're the specialist friend of his?"

She smiled and nodded. "And, if I can save your niece's sight… you might just be seeing a lot more of me in Seattle…" She turned around, walking towards Grace's room.

Preston stared at her retreating figure for a long time. Then he felt eyes watching him—Izzie was staring at him, her jaw open. "We need to talk, Burke…"

He closed his eyes. 'This cannot be happening…' he thought. He nodded and led the way to his office, the only place he knew they would be able to discuss what she'd witnessed in private.

He had barely closed the door when she spoke, "How long has it been going on?"

"It happened once. It was over 6 years ago. Do you remember the surgery I was asked to assist on in New York? She was performing a surgery there, too… We went out for drinks to celebrate successful surgeries, and I told her about Cristina. I told her I was in love… but she didn't care. And after a lot of drinks… I made the biggest mistake of my life. I thought I left that mistake in New York… She means nothing to me, and I have never had any other affairs. Cristina is my life, Izzie, and you know that just as much as anyone…"

"If she's staying in Seattle… you have to tell Cristina. Before she finds out who she is on her own… And so help me god if I get dragged into this mess and get caught keeping this from her… I will never forgive you for doing this to her. Do you realize what this could do? She's already an at-risk pregnancy, and stress isn't good for her or the baby… You could be risking your family and the woman you love, no matter what you do." Izzie shook her head, avoiding the thoughts that were running through her mind. She opened the door; "You don't have a choice now, do you?"

"We can't tell her, you know that. Megan will keep her mouth shut, and when Cristina has our child and is my wife…"

"You mean when you can actually know she won't leave you? When she's got this innocent little baby to worry about, and when she's thinking how great a father you are to your child and how could she possibly leave? When she's trapped, that's when you'll tell her?" Izzie shook her head at him.

"That's not what I mean, Izzie. When she can handle this without it risking her life or our child's life, I will tell her. She has every right to know, and to leave me for what I've done, but I will not risk their lives over one night that happened 6 years ago…"

"Then you better pray that you're right about Megan and she knows how to keep a secret. Because if Cristina finds out from someone other than you what happened…"

"What can't I find out?" Cristina asked, leaning against the door.


	15. Secrets kept too long are the hardest

_Sorry it's been so long between updates. I'm already working on chapter 16. Be prepared for some major MAJOR revalations... hope you like it, and please review!

* * *

_  
Izzie's eyes widened at the sound of Cristina's voice. "I have to check on my interns…" she whispered, dashing off down the hall.

Preston closed his eyes, debating the events about to unfold. "Are you going to tell me, or do I need to go ask the nurses if they heard anything?"

"Cristina, I'm their boss, they wouldn't tell you even if they did. Come in, close the door." He sat at his desk, and inhaled deeply. "What I am about to tell you, you are going to have to hear me out on. Remember to keep calm, don't get upset or stressed out. And most importantly, remember that I love you…"

He told her everything. He spared no detail, and he refused to look at her the whole time. "So… you cheated on me in New York. With Derek's specialist. You had no idea she was coming?"

"No…"

"Has it happened before or since? Not with her, with anyone…"

"No, god no! Cristina, it was a drunken lapse of judgement. I never meant anything by it..."

"You most certainly did. Six years ago, she gave you something I wasn't able to give you. Was it good?"

With that comment, Preston looked at her. He looked into her pale face, saw her tears and he knew. In that moment, he knew that she'd never forgive him for what he'd done. Maybe she would've had he told her when it happened. Before they were going to have a happily ever after. "Cristina…"

"I want to know. If I have to know it happened, I want everything. Was it better than me, is that why you hid it for so long?"

"I hid it from you because I didn't want to hurt you with my mistake. I can't remember what it was like with her. She didn't matter. You, from the first time we made love, you were irreplaceable. You're the love of my life, Cristina, and I never intended to hurt you…"

"I would very much appreciate having the rest of today off…"

He nodded his response, and she continued, "Could you stay with Derek for a few days? I need time away to know what's going to happen next…"

And with that, she left. He watched her leave with a glimmer of hope. She didn't tell him to go to hell outright—that was a good sign, right?

* * *

"You didn't know, did you?" Cristina's voice entered the room, but she was gripping the doorframe for dear life.

"Know about what?" Derek responded, worry etched in his face.

"Before you asked Megan to come here, you didn't know she and Burke had an affair, did you?"

Derek's face went white. "They… when?"

"Six years ago, when he had that surgery in New York…"

"Wait, six years ago?" Derek felt like he was going to be sick. There was no way…

"What's wrong?"

"I'm, um, I'm going to go check up on Grace… Stay here, okay? And stay relaxed, you know it's not good for you to worry…"

Cristina nodded, and took a seat. Izzie walked past the room, and within a second was back at the door. "Did he…"

"Yes, he told me. How long did you know?"

Izzie's eyes widened. There was a pain and anger in Cristina's voice that frightened Izzie. "I found out today. In the hall… She called out to him, tried to touch his shoulder. He jumped away from her, told her that what happened six years ago would never happen again, and that if that's what she came for she should leave. That she was interfering with his family and his job. That's when she said she wouldn't bother him, but that she was here for Derek… I pulled him aside and told him that now that I knew, he had to tell you. I wasn't going to be the keeper of that secret…"

Cristina just nodded, numb to the events unfolding. "It was everything to him, this baby, this engagement. Am I going let this one mistake of his ruin that?" She shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Does it always hurt this bad?"

Izzie rushed over to her, grabbing her hand. "Only at first. Only when you first know that you've been lied to and you're reeling from that. As to whether or not you're going to ruin this… that's not the issue. Do you still love him, after knowing what he's done?"

Cristina nodded, "Always. But I don't know if I can trust him now. He waited so long to say something… He's going to be a part of our baby's life, though…"

Izzie smiled at her friend. So much had changed since they first met at Seattle Grace. For starters, the interns were now residents—Cristina, George and Meredith were surgical residents, all with their groups of interns. Izzie had taken over the hole Addison had left behind and was working as an OB-GYN. She was gifted, just as Addison had said. She loved her co-workers and her interns. She loved her patients. She was happy where she was, and she knew she owed that joy to Addison.

* * *

"It's Burke, isn't it?"

"It's so good to see you again too, Derek…" Megan smiled at him, but the smile faded when she saw the look on his face.

"Don't mess around with this. He's my best friend… he has a right to know!"

"He doesn't want me to ruin his life, I won't. Don't ask me to, Derek. Let him have his happiness. He doesn't need to know."

"She's his daughter too. You've kept this from him for six years."

There was sadness in her eyes, but anger was set in her jaw. "You have no idea what keeping this has done to me, to my career, to my daughter! And how dare you try to tell me who Jayden's parents are. I raised her, on my own…"

"You didn't give him the opportunity. And how dare you take that chance from him. Jayden is his daughter, and if you don't tell him so help me I will. Don't make me paint you as the bad guy, Megan. This hospital is a giant rumor mill, and trust me, they're always looking for the newest villain."

"Is that a threat?"

"He's my family, Megan. That makes Jayden my niece. That makes her royalty in this hospital… you can't just rob her of half her history. Give him a chance to be the father you haven't let him be…"

"I'll think about it." Megan turned around, and stopped. "By the way, Grace's doctors were right. Her condition is permanent. I'm sorry, Derek."

* * *

"Hey, Grace! How's my favorite girl doing?"

"I'm fine, Uncle George. What's up?"

He took a seat next to her, and grasped her hand. "Well, I've got some bad news for you. Richard died last night, during surgery. He'd been kept on observation, and they finally went in to operate. His heart was damaged and he was weak—there was nothing they could do. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but I was the first to find out…" He sighed. "He wanted you to have something. I don't know what it is, but you were specifically named in his will. We'll know in a few days…"

"I don't want it…"

"You don't know what it is, honey…"

"I don't need to! I don't want whatever it is. I won't be able to see it, anyway. You can keep it, Uncle George."

"Hey, Grace… I have to steal away your uncle here for a second. Is that okay?" Derek was pale, and George was glad she couldn't see him looking so shaken.

George stepped into the hall, whispering, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Burke had an affair six years ago and has a baby he doesn't know about. Do you want to tell him?"


	16. A Superhuman's Death

George was staring at the wall. There was nothing more that could go wrong in their lives. The accident, the blindness, the fear, the affair, the secrets, the lies… it was all becoming too much for him to deal with. He focused on breathing, steadily in and out, attempting to forget all the things that had been following them the past few weeks. It's like they had been cursed or something. It was just one big chain of bad and unfortunate events, a chain they hadn't been able to break.

"George?"

He sighed, recognizing the voice instantly and hating his inability to keep a secret. "What is it?"

Cristina slipped down next to him. He'd locked himself away in an empty gallery, marking it as closed for repairs. It was a trick from the secret surgeries, the ones in which there were doctors being operated on; surgeons whose entire reputation was being superhuman in strength and intelligence. Except there wasn't a secret surgery in that operating room below them; it was dark, everything cloaked in a deep gray. "How are you doing?"

He laughed. She was genuinely worried about him, and he was laughing. It wasn't because she'd been humorous, not in the least—it was the nerves, the stress, and the pressure. He regained his composure almost instantly. "You're asking me how I'm doing? What's wrong with this picture? Seriously, you're the one who just found out about Megan…" he paused, because he knew more. He didn't want to say it, not to her. It was Burke's place to tell her, and it was Megan's place to tell him. She'd find out. He'd be there for her when she found out, just like she'd been there for him when Callie had died in 2007. She'd been the operating doctor after the accident. He'd been waiting for her to come home, getting worried. Then the phone rang and he smiled, thinking it was her telling him she'd be right there. _"George, it's Cristina. I need you to come up here, okay?"_

_"Cristina, is everything okay?" He could hear her forcing herself to regulate her breathing, forcing herself not to get emotional. "I'll be right there!" He scribbled out a note for Callie, so that if he weren't there, she wouldn't worry._

_Cristina was waiting outside for him, sitting on the bench, her head in her hands. "Hey, is everything okay?"_

_Cristina just shook her head. She looked at him, her eyes pink and bloodshot, her cheeks stained with tears. "George, it's Callie… she got into an accident today… she didn't make it, sweetie…"_

"What were you thinking about, just now?" Cristina whispered, staring into his face, trying to read the emotions that were written there.

"Callie…" George smiled weakly, "I was going to break up with her, you know. That night… I was going to just tell her that I wanted to be friends, but I wasn't ready for what she wanted. I'm glad I didn't, though. I think it would've made it worse in the end… what happened to her, you know?"

Cristina nodded, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I know." She smiled at him, a comforting, sad smile. "I should probably go check on my hopeless interns. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You really should page Izzie though, she's worried." She kissed his cheek and stood, exiting out as quietly as she entered, leaving him to replay his conversation with Derek just an hour earlier.

_"Burke had an affair six years ago and has a baby he doesn't know about. Do you want to tell him?" Derek said in a rush, his pale face almost blending in with the walls._

_"Wait, what?" George's heart dropped, a million thoughts racing through his mind._

_Derek explained patiently the situation—he was the only one in the group, it seemed, who didn't know about Megan. And now, to make up for it, he was the first to know about Jayden. "And Megan doesn't want to tell him. I haven't really given her an option… but in case she doesn't, someone has to. And I don't really want to…"_

_"So you're pawning the responsibility off on me? Really nice, Derek! I can't believe you! You think this is going to be any easier for me to do, to ruin his life with Cristina in an instant? You're unbelievable!" George walked away, forgetting to say goodbye to Grace. He was fuming—all the responsibility of this life altering secret resting on his conscience… How dare he just pass this on to him?_

_"George, wait!" Derek was chasing after him. "Come on, I didn't mean that it would be easier for you… I know it will be difficult news to tell, regardless of who it comes from. I just… I didn't want to be the only one who knew…"_

_George spun, and was in Derek's face in a second, rage seething through him. "Next time you find out something like this, do me a favor, and forget you know me!" He turned again, this time not stopping for anyone.

* * *

_

"Derek, have you seen George?" Izzie asked, running into him in the hall.

"He went that way. If you find him, tell him I'm sorry." Derek rubbed his hands across his face. He was exhausted. There was so much that had happened in the past few months, and he wasn't sure he could handle anything more. It was going to tear him apart, this affair and its aftermath. It was selfish of him, really, to think how it would affect him. Cristina had come such a long way since she came to Seattle, and this would surely ruin her progress. She had grown up, she had learned to love and live without limitations, and it made her not only a better person but also an amazing doctor. Derek feared for her, quite honestly, more than he feared for Burke. Yes, Burke had changed—he was no longer the arrogant, self-absorbed surgeon, but had become this omnipresent humble man. Burke was going to lose everything he cared about, but he would not lose himself. Cristina would—she was set for failure either way, and Derek was preparing for the worst.

* * *

"Mer?" Cristina whispered into the darkened room.

"Yeah?"

Cristina stepped hesitantly into the room. "It's me… Has anyone been here to tell you about Richard?"

Meredith shifted in her bed, holding her breath. "No, what happened?"

"He… He died today, sweetie…" Cristina sat on her bed, holding her hand. "I'm so sorry…"

Mer just nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. She didn't know what to say, or how she felt. She was upset her former boss had passed on, but she didn't know how she felt yet inside. He had been her mother's lover… he was her McDreamy, the one she left her husband for. But she was too strong, too stubborn to beg her way into his heart the way Meredith had—Richard refused to pick her, and stayed married, and her mother never moved on.

"When did he…?"

"Early this afternoon." Cristina whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks, unafraid. He had let her know it was all right to be human and a doctor, to be sensitive and strong at once. He had taught her to be the person she had transformed into, and now that person who was all too human was gone.

* * *

"Preston?"

He turned, slowly, knowing exactly who was behind him. "I thought I told you…"

"I know," she sighed, "But I'm not here for that. I have to talk to you—it's important…"

"Come on, we'll go into my office…"

He led the way, a few feet ahead. Something inside of him was screaming at him, telling him to run away from her. She was the one person who could destroy him on a personal level, and she was begging to speak to him. Nothing good, he was sure, would come from it.

"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chairs by his desk as he shut the door. He walked to his side of the desk, rummaging through papers.

"I'm not your patient, Preston. There's no diagnosis you can give to me… but there's something I can give to you." She paused, taking a deep breath. "A daughter… her name is Jayden Riley. She doesn't know you exist… I never mention her father to her, not in passing and not when she asks. It's getting hard to do now. She turned five a few months ago. It was brought to my attention recently you deserved to know. I'm not trying to ruin your life, but I couldn't keep it from you forever. She's a lot like you…"

"When can I see her?"

Megan's face fell, "No… you can't see her!"


	17. security's threatened

"What do you mean I can't see her?" Preston's mouth was agape. "She's my daughter!"

"The daughter you didn't know about until now. The daughter I raised on my own. She doesn't know you exist, and I won't let you see her. It will only get her hopes up, and I don't want her to go through finding her father and then losing him." Megan shook her head. "No, we're done here."

"Don't make me be mean about this, Megan. I will be a part of her life, whether you like it or not. If you want to walk out of this office, that's fine, but my lawyer's will be in contact with you, and I will see you again when I'm fighting for full custody of Jayden." He leaned back in his chair. "Beautiful name, by the way."

* * *

"Hey, Cristina!" Derek chased after her as she stormed towards Burke's office.

"Not now, Derek. I know he's your friend and you're trying to save his neck, but not even you can stop me."

"Cristina!"

She stopped, and turned to him. "What?"

"You can't interrupt him right now. He's in a very important meeting…"

"He never mentioned any meeting being scheduled for today…"

"It's something that just came up. He'll find you, okay. If nothing else, I'll tell him when he comes by tonight, alright?"

Cristina just walked past him. Something was going on, and the men knew about it… and none of the women did. That was what bothered her about the situation. The women always knew first at Seattle Grace. The fact that they knew something and they hadn't told anyone else… It was enough to drive Cristina crazy.

"Did they tell you anything? Or is it me that's just out of the loop?" Cristina stood next to Izzie at the nurse's station, whispering behind the nurse's backs.

"What are you talking about?" Izzie grabbed her arm and led her to an empty room. "Explain."

"The guys know something, and they're keeping it a secret. They're hiding it… I have to know. I've got this horrible feeling that I don't want to know what it is. That it's nothing good… but I have to know." Cristina looked into Izzie's eyes, and saw that she knew. "You do know! Tell me. Now, Isobel Stevens!"

Izzie shifted uncomfortably, looking for an escape. "Listen… I can't tell you. But, the guys, they're planning on telling you. When the time is right. When everything is figured out. But please, don't push it, sweetie. When you do find out… you'll wish you wouldn't have been so eager…"

Izzie tried to pass her, but Cristina got a hold of her arm. "You don't get to say that. Now I know it's about me. You tell me now, Izzie, because you know me. You know that I'm just an inch away from breaking completely. Help me out. Just tell me what the hell is going on that is so tragic you're trying to avoid it."

Izzie's eyes welled. "You don't get to put a guilt trip on me, Cristina. If it were my news to share, I would, and you know that. You'll find out when you have to. Don't say I didn't warn you…" Izzie gently pushed past her, making her way towards the gallery that she'd found George in.

* * *

"She knows something's up. She tried to guilt trip me… I almost told her!" Izzie said, storming through the door.

"But you didn't?"

"Of course I didn't tell her! I can't tell her that. She's going to be crushed, you know!" Izzie punched George in the arm. "Why did you have to tell me?"

George looked at her, and Izzie almost began to cry. She had never seen him look so broken. He looked drained of all humanity, as if the past few weeks had shattered his spirit and ruined him entirely. She wrapped her arms around him and cried. "What's wrong, Izzie?"

"It's just… you look so…"

"You look like shit…" Meredith was sitting in a wheelchair outside of the door, Derek standing behind her. Her voice was strained and deep, as if she'd been in a great amount of pain.

"What are you doing out of bed?" George ignored her comment, his only thoughts consumed of worry for his friend. His mind flashed back to Izzie's wheelchair incident, and he was terrified Mer would do the same thing.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're in the middle of a family emergency. We need a plan…"

"You told her! You told her?"

"What, I'm not a part of this family anymore, Izzie?"

Izzie shook her head, "Of course you are, Mer. It's just… Cristina knows something's going on, and she went to me to ask if I knew what the men were keeping from us, and then… I'm transparent and she knew that I knew. I refused to tell her, and she stormed off, I was assuming to see if you knew too. And now you do. Everyone knows but her, how fair is that?"

"Grace." Derek whispered.

"What?"

"Gracie doesn't know either. And so help me, none of you better speak a word of this to her… she's worse than Izzie when it comes to transparency, and she doesn't need to worry about this now too." George's face was slightly flushed, but Izzie figured it was just because he was frustrated with the situation.

"Has anyone checked on her in a while?" Izzie asked, the others shaking their heads.

"We've been so busy with this Burke and Cristina drama, we've completely neglected the helpless blind child we love so much. Perfect, seriously…" George stormed past Derek and Meredith, in the direction of the elevator.

"I'll go after him…"

"Izzie, wait. Let him have some time with her before you go in there." Me whispered.

"I guess… I just, why is he so upset?"

"I've been trying to figure that out for a while now…" Derek said, watching the elevator doors close.

* * *

"Hey Grace."

She stirred in her bed, sitting up slightly. "I can't get used to these damn casts, Uncle George. They're so uncomfortable…"

He smiled and held her hand. "You know, I broke my leg once, when I was 12. It's what made me want to be a doctor. I was sharing a room with a heart patient—there was a slight overload in emergency and they were bunking one emergency with a non-emergency as needed. He was only 22, in college… he crashed, and I just wanted to save him. He died, and I figured, if I could just save people for the rest of my life it would make the difference, you know?" He looked at her, a look of confusion playing on her features. "Anyway, the point was that I hated my cast too. And I imagine with one on each leg and on your arm… you've got to be antsy."

"Yeah. I want to get out of here already…" She sighed, "So, what's new in the hospital? Any new gossip?"

"You have no idea, sweetie…" he whispered.


	18. a quickie

Just a quick update! sorry it's been so long, my computer broke in July, and I've been busy moving and trying to get internet in my first apartment. As it is I'm typing this from the library comp. on campus:)

Derek walked Meredith slowly around the hospital, floor by floor. "Don't you have patients or something?" She asked, trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered in his presence.

"No, I have the rest of the day off." He paused for a second, and realized he hadn't told anyone what Megan had said of Grace's condition. "Megan said Grace's condition is permanent. I haven't told her yet... I don't know if I can, really."

Meredith just stared straight ahead, a tear slipping down her cheek. She had known, really, that the possibility of everything turning out just fine was something that happened only on television, only in Hollywood. Where life was scripted and people acted and everything was edited on computers by magicians who knew just what the audience wanted from them. But they were not some scripted dramatic actors, repeating lines written by geniuses who knew just what would make the viewers comforted. They were reality, and reality... well, it sucked. "Let's go tell her. George and Izzie should be there together by now. We'll tell them all at once, and then we'll break the news to Cristina..."

Sorry it's so short, I'll fix it later.


	19. Everybody Knows

They headed to Grace's room in silence, both lost in thought. When they reached the door, Derek was shocked to find Megan inside, talking to Grace. He paused long enough to hear her say "And your surgery is scheduled for Friday, and if all goes as planned, your bandages can come off by Monday. Now, the vision you have will be slightly blurry, as your eyes adjust to actually seeing again, but within a week, you should be 20/20 again. Unless, of course, you weren't before..." 

Derek cleared his throat, his voice thick with anger. "Dr, can I please see you in the hall?" He pushed Meredith to Grace's bedside, and led the way. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You just told me earlier that my daughter would never see again, and now you're telling her she'll be seeing by Monday? That's one hell of a leap, and you better have one hell of an explanation, or so help me you will never see the inside of an operating room again unless you're the patient."

Megan was taken aback by his venomous speech. Although, to be honest, she'd react the same if the situation were reversed. "Derek, I'm sorry. I was unprofessional earlier. You were trying to control my life, how I handled Jayden's life... I had no right to do what I did to you, or to anyone for that matter... I can only say I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused your family..."

"As soon as you perform that surgery on my child, and you see her through recovery, I want you out of Seattle." He turned on his heel and was instantly by his daughter's side, sharing in the family joy.

"You're Megan, aren't you?" Megan turned to see a pretty, dark haired doctor. It struck her right then that this was not just another doctor--this was Dr. Cristina Yang... this was Burke's life. She inhaled deeply before replying.

"Yes... I'm so sorry, Dr. Yang... I promise you that Jayden and I will no longer disrupt your life. Burke wants to be a part of his daughters life, and plans on fighting tooth and nail to see that he is... but I swear to you I will not be any more of a disturbance..."

"His... his daughter?" Cristina's face paled, and tears filled her eyes. So that was the secret...

"Oh, God... he hadn't told you yet? I assumed he had..." She squeezed her eyes closed. She had thought that she had finally said the right thing, that she finally corrected some wrong... she'd only messed up more. "I'm sorry, Cristina. Listen, he just found out about her today... I'd kept the secret for over 5 years. If you plan on blaming someone for this, then please blame me. He loves you... you and your child are his life. Please don't ruin the love you have because he made one mistake, and I made more for him..." She touched Cristina's shoulder, "I know this is... difficult, to say the least. But please, give him the chance. Not for him, but for you, and your child. You have no idea how hard it is to be a doctor and a single mother. You don't have to be... Just remember that..." she turned and walked straight out of the hospital.

George turned from the conversation by Grace's bedside to see Cristina standing in the hall, staring after someone. "I'll be back in just a minute..."

"Hey, Cristina..."

"Her name is Jayden..." She turned to look at him, tears staining her pale cheeks. "So that was the horrible secret, huh? The one that everyone knew but me... I have to go. I have to get away from this."

"Cristina, no..." He grabbed her hand just as she fell to the ground.


End file.
